Desperate Measures
by TinyXipe
Summary: Kat has lost everything to the Combine. In an attempt to exact revenge, she stumbles onto what she hopes will lead to even greater opportunity. COMPLETED!
1. Chapter I

**Desperate Measures**

**Chapter I**

* * *

Kat slipped down the hallway. She was sure that she had seen only one enter the room. She stood a few feet from the doorway, listening intently. Her hands were sweating on the grip of the pistol. After a moment, her patience was rewarded with a crackling CP radio call. There! It was _definitely_ only one unit!

Inching slowly towards the door Kat thought out her plan. It was pretty sketchy, but if it helped her get to Lennox, it would be worth it. Capturing one CP should lead to some names at the least. If it didn't work out for her, she didn't really have anything to lose anyway.

With her back to the wall Kat peered around the doorframe. There was a battered apartment room littered with pieces of furniture, graffiti and broken windows. Standing at the window was a lone CP unit. Maybe luck was with her this time. CP's hardly ever worked alone. He was looking down on the small courtyard between the apartment buildings. Both hands were on his rifle, but all of his attention was on something outside. Kat took a deep breath and crept into the room. Moving as silently as possible across the debris-strewn floor, she kept her eyes riveted to the back of the CP's helmeted head. The pistol was aimed there as well.

Every time the CP shifted, Kat froze but he was intent on his surveillance. After what seemed to be an interminable amount of time, she slipped up behind him. With one quick motion she wrapped her left hand around his neck and jammed the pistol under his jaw with the other.

"Don't. Move." She could feel the man stiffen and then freeze. "Good. Drop the weapon." To her surprise, he complied easily enough. "OK, we're going to move away from the window and over to the wall back here. Keep your hands out where I can see them and move slowly."

The CP did as he was told and didn't offer a word of argument or abuse. Kat had him place his hands on the wall and stand leaning forward so he couldn't make any sudden moves without warning. "Alright, tell me your name and what unit you're with. And why you're here alone." After a pause, the man just shook his head.

"What? Hey, I'm the one with the gun here now, smart-ass. Answer me!" She jammed the gun against the man's neck a little harder and was rewarded with a small grunt of pain. He slowly dropped his head forward and then shook it as if hoping the front section of the helmet would fall off. Kat clenched her jaw in frustration. What kind of trick could this be?

"Stop it! What are you doing? Can't you speak with that thing on?" The CP shook his head. "Liar! I've heard you guys transmit to each other. I know you can talk." As if on cue, a transmission crackled in.

"Unit 37. Unit 37. What's your 20? You are no longer visible. Respond"

To Kat's surprise her victim responded calmly and without prompting. "Thought I heard something down the hall. Give me another minute to check it out." He then shook his head again as if trying to dislodge the helmet and twisted a hand around to point at the back of the helmet.

Kat was paralyzed with indecision. She could feel her heart pounding. What was this guy trying to do? There _was_ a catch on the back of the helmet. She had absolutely no reason to trust him, but he had done nothing to give her away on the radio. Before she could make a decision he slowly started to move his hand towards his head.

"Stop! Are you trying to get that thing off?" He nodded. "Alright, move slowly."

The CP gingerly fiddled with the helmet. It was obviously not meant to be removed with one hand. After a moment, the front half of the helmet fell to the floor. Kat suddenly realized she didn't want to see a human face at the other end of her gun.

The man still hadn't looked up. "I'm sorry," he said. "Look, I couldn't say anything without putting you at risk. The radios are voice activated when we're on recon like this. Anything I said would be heard by the whole squad."

Kat was stunned. "What in the hell are you talking about?"

He shrugged. "It's clear that you're no Civil Protection fan, and since you're the one with the gun to my neck, I thought maybe we should have a talk without calling in the troops."

"Good. I want information. I need to find a CP named Lennox. I don't know anything about him except he's been on missions outside the city and he seems to be some sort of an officer or something."

"I think I can help you, but you'll have to trust me. I don't know a Lennox, but I might know some people…"

"Why in the world would I ever trust you?" Kat interrupted. "You work for them! You've turned on your own people. I don't care who you 'might' know, just tell me how I can find this guy and all this will be over."

The CP responded in a calm, level voice, "I'm sure you have a good reason to find this Lennox and if you can give me a reason to trust _you, _I think I can help you."

Kat narrowed her eyes as she realized what he was implying. "You think I'm a Combine spy?" Her mind worked furiously. "There's nothing I can tell you that you haven't heard. My story is just like everyone else's. I have nothing left. The only thing different is I've decided to _do_ something about it. I can't think of anything to tell you that would inspire your trust. "

"Well, it looks to me like we only have a few options here. A) You can choose not to trust me, shoot me and alert a whole Civil Protection squad. B) You can trust me enough to hear me out, sneak out of here and either report me as a sympathizer or disappear. Or C), you hear me out and follow my advice. I personally prefer C, as A and B probably won't end well for me. Your call now."

Kat took a step back, but didn't lower her weapon. The man straightened up, rubbing his neck, and gave her a self-mocking grin. "I never expected to get apprehended by a citizen. You didn't make a noise." As he looked at her face, Kat noticed a puzzled look flicker cross his face, as though he had recognized her from somewhere.

"OK, first, I need to get back to the window or they'll send someone up to check up on me. I can switch off the voice-activated transmitter now that you let me get my mask off. If you stay low they won't see you and we can try to straighten this out."

"Alright, but still no sudden moves."

The CP picked up his mask and fiddled with it for a minute, put it back on and walked back to the window. Kat followed and crouched against the wall, sliding his weapon towards her. After slipping a finger under the edge of the white mask the man spoke, "Unit 28. Unit 28. This is Unit 37. Did you copy previous transmission?" His voice came out modified and unnatural.

There was a crackling response. "Unit 37. That's negative. No previous transmission received."

"I seem to be having some trouble with my radio. Hallway was clear, just some birds in one of the rooms."

"10-4, Unit 37. Get that checked after your shift."

He removed his finger from the mask. "There. That should keep everyone calm."

Kat finally lowered her weapon a bit. "Neatly done. Now, how do you think you can help me?"

"Alright, here's what I'll do." The CP glanced at her before returning his gaze to the courtyard. "I know some people who could use someone with your skills and, ah, determination. I'm gonna give you some directions to a nearby base, but it will be up to you to get there. If you check out, I might be able to pull some strings.

Kat listened to the detailed directions carefully. When he finished the CP asked her, "Is that clear? Can you get there without attracting attention?"

"Yes."

"Good. When you get there knock on the door and tell whoever answers that Barney sent you."


	2. Chapter II

**Desperate Measures**

**Chapter II**

* * *

Moving with what she hoped looked like an aimless shuffle, Kat stepped out of the alley and onto the sidewalk. There were a few blue-clad citizens wandering about. All of them had slumped shoulders and downcast eyes. As she walked up the road, she listened carefully for the purring sound of scanners. Better to avoid them altogether, than look suspicious hiding her face. 

Approaching a cross street, Kat paused at the corner. Above the murmur of street noise she heard the rhythmic thud of booted feet. Turning to look, she felt a chill crawl down her spine and settle in her stomach. A Combine patrol unit had just rounded the far corner and was steadily approaching her position. She felt paralyzed. _He reported me!_

In a split-second, a dozen thoughts flew through Kat's mind, most of which involved immediate flight. But Kat had learned to listen for that calm, quiet voice. It was hard to hear sometimes but it was usually right. _They aren't even looking at you. Look down and wait for them to pass. To run would be a horrible mistake._ She waited.

The black-masked soldiers passed her by withouta glance. Kat felt the icy fist unclench from her stomach. She gave herself a second to calm down and crossed the street.

As Kat approached her destination, she scowled in puzzlement. That had to be the right building. There was the scorch mark near the cornerstone and the broken lamp next to the front door. She had followed Barney's directions, but there were two CP's in front of the door. Was he trying to trick her somehow? The CP's certainly didn't seem to notice her.

She continued along, crossed the street and turned the corner. As she had hoped, there was an alley that ran along the back of the buildings. She counted the back doors until she was sure she was near the correct one and slipped behind a dumpster. Kat cautiously peered out and saw that the doorway was open, but there was no CP guard. She waited patiently. She had learned that given time, CP's couldn't resist radio transmissions, giving themselves away. Sure enough, there was a garbled crackle after about five minutes. They must be standing inside the doorway.

Damn! The only other way to get in was a small basement window and she really didn't want to go in that way. Kat thought for a moment. Trying to slip past the CP's with a distraction was too risky. Gathering her resolve, Kat slunk across the alley to the low window. One pane was broken out and it was already unlocked. Praying for no horrific screeches, she gently pried the window open.

Kat cautiously stuck her head into the window. Her body blocked most of the light, but she could see a few lengths of old pipe in a corner. Just what she needed.

She squeezed through the window and dropped to the dusty floor. She snatched up a two-foot length of pipe, crouched against the wall and waited for her eyes to adjust to the dark. She could feel her palms sweating again. She knew all too well what could be lurking down here.

After several minutes, she stood and started searching for a stairway. Piles of broken furniture and old boxes created a confusing maze. She moved slowly from one room to the next, trying to resist the almost overwhelming impulse to sneeze. She had just spotted an unlit exit sign across the room when she heard the familiar scuttling sound to her left.

Kat threw herself against the wall, exhaled sharply three times and dropped into a crouch, pipe at the ready. Almost immediately she heard the warbled screech and felt the wind of an object passing over her head. The headcrab hit the wall where her head had just been with a dull thud and almost fell in her lap. Kat jumped up and pounded it with the pipe before it could reorient itself. She took a couple of gulping breaths, hands shaking.

Heart thundering, she hurried to the door. Despite her alarm, a voice in the back of her head was cheering happily. _It worked! It worked! I must be right. It has to be the carbon dioxide that attracts them! _Everyone knew that headcrabs couldn't "see", but most people suspected them of orienting on body heat. Kat had come up with her own theory, but no one really wanted to test it out. Allowing herself a small smile, she moved on to the stairs.

Emerging in a dingy hallway, Kat was relieved to find herself next to the stairs with no CP's in sight. She slipped up to the fourth floor and found apartment D. She knocked on the unremarkable door with the correct pattern and waited. After a moment a flat voice asked, "What do you want?"

Kat replied in a low voice, "Barney sent me. I'm looking for help."

There was a long pause with the sounds of a whispered exchange, and finally the scrape of a lock being opened. The door opened a crack to show two suspicious blue eyes. "How'd you get in here? We're under lockdown. How do you know Barney?"

"I came in through the basement." Kat looked nervously towards the stairs, "Look, can we talk about this inside?"

The eyes narrowed and a new voice chimed in, "Jeez, Stephan, just let her in. We don't need to attract any attention."

The door opened far enough to admit her and she stepped into the room. Kat looked around. This sure didn't look like what she expected. There was a tattered blue couch and a small desk with a radio. A pile of blankets in the corner looked like it served as a bed. Two doors led out of the room. One opened into a small bedroom and the other a kitchenette. There were tattered curtains in the window that blocked the view across the alley. The small apartment smelled of old baked beans, unwashed bodies and, strangely, talcum powder.

Two men in their mid-twenties stood watching her. The one who answered the door looked nervous and suspicious. The other, a tall black man, seemed pleased to see her. He waved her further into the room. "Hey, I'm Ivers and this squinty guy is Stephan. Don't mind him, he thinks everyone is out to get us."

"Come on!" Stephan hissed, "How do you know she isn't? Just because she mentions a name you know doesn't mean anything."

He stalked over to Kat and waved a stumpy finger under her nose, "If you know Barney, where did you meet him? What does he look like?"

Kat resisted the temptation to bat his finger out of her face. She scowled back at him, "It's a long story. I guess you could say I mistook him for someone I thought I knew. When I met him he was wearing a CP uniform. He's, I don't know, six feet tall or so. Dark hair, a scar on his left cheek and a he needed a shave. He seems like a level-headed guy."

Ivers laughed. "Yeah, that would be him. Stephan, I think if she were really trying to gain our confidence for evil intentions, she wouldn't be lookin' like she was ready to shove that finger down your throat."

Stephan stepped away with an air of disappointment. "Hmph. Better safe than sorry."

Kat turned back to Ivers and gestured at the room, "This isn't quite what I expected for a resistance 'base'."

"A base? Nah, we're just more like a safe house. Do you know where to go from here?"

Kat felt the old familiar tightness in her chest. "Ahh…no. Barney just told me you guys would see if I check out but he also said this was one of your bases."

Stephan and Ivers exchanged a glance. Stephan replied, "Uh, yeah…check out. We will need to see if you check out before you can go to a real base."

Kat didn't know what to say. Something wasn't right. Her eyes darted towards the door.

Ivers came over and gently put a hand on her shoulder. "Relax. I recognize that look. All I can say to you right now is that you're with the good guys. And as long as you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about. Why don't we get you something to eat and then you can crash for awhile. You look like you could use it."

Kat realized he was right. For the moment, control was out of her hands. She had been on edge for so long, she felt completely drained. She nodded her head wearily and followed him to the kitchen.

* * *

Thanks so much for the reviews!

I fixed my settings to allow anonymous reviewers. I meant to have it that way initially, but I must have missed something.


	3. Chapter III

**Desperate Measures**

**Chapter III **

**

* * *

**

Dusk was falling across the city. The coolness of autumn was starting to creep into the daytime, but the day had been sunny and warm so the stones of the battered buildings still gave off a pleasant warmth. Barney squatted with his back against the wall and reflected on the rosy glow in the west. "Red sky at night…"

Nolan was pacing back and forth, "Yeah, yeah. Where the hell is Josef, already? His shift should have been over at six."

"Settle down. We aren't under any real time constraints here. He probably just got caught up with something. You know, the guys probably wanted to take him out for a beer." Barney leaned his head back and closed his eyes under his mask. The sarcasm would most likely be lost on the kid. Oh well, it was always best to relax when given the chance.

Nolan walked over and stood against the wall. "I still don't understand why we can't take a transport vehicle. It would be safer and a lot faster. And we could pick up more than just a few water filters. This is going to be a long walk in the dark."

Barney sighed. Nolan was a recent recruit and only ninteen. He was a great man to have at your back in a fight and was a crack shot, but he was as nervous as a rabbit if given too much time to think. "And how would you explain to your supervisor a vehicle being signed out after a shift? Anyway, we only need a few filters. Too many missing and it would be noticed"

This obvious logic was ignored and Nolan bounced away from the wall. "There he is!"

Barney stood and looked at the figure that had just rounded the corner. He moved his hand inconspicuously towards his sidearm. The CP raised his hand in an odd wave. Barney relaxed, reached for his pack and started forward. "Anything wrong?"

"Nothing we need to worry about. Sector G is all riled up with some "insurgents" and they were thinking of sending me back out. Did you ask for a distraction or something?"

"No, but that's good luck. Should keep the patrols down. We all set to go?"

The other two men nodded and the small group set out down the deserted street. After a few minutes, Barney cleared his throat. "We need to make a stop on the way back from our little shopping trip. I think I found someone who might be a nice addition to the Lambda family."

X X X

Kat's eyes popped open to darkness. There had been a sound. Something. She lay there perfectly still, trying to remember where she was. She was lying on a lumpy mattress covered with a musty blanket in a small room. To her left, a sliver of light showedat the bottom of a door.There were quiet voices coming from the next room. Her memories came crashing back at the sound of a voice distorted by a CP mask in the hallway.

She bolted upright and felt around frantically for her gun. There was a loud banging on the apartment door. Kat's breath caught in her throat. She knew she was trapped. Her hand swept along the floor next to the mattress and finally found the weapon. Rolling out of the bed, she scuttled across the floor to wedge herself behind a battered dresser. Kat could hear a man saying something when the hallway door banged open. Immediately there was shouting and crashing in the next room. Feeling an icy calm descend upon her, Kat raised her gun to the door and waited.

To her astonishment, despite the sounds of chaos, she heard a knocking on the bedroom door. It slowly cracked open. An unmasked head poked into the room. "Hey, are you in here? Take your finger off the trigger, it's just me."

"Barney?"

The door opened fully, letting light filter into the room. "Yeah. I hope we didn't startle you. We need to make this look like an arrest to get you out of here."

Kat stood, "No. I was just asleep. I'm okay." She quickly shoved the gun into the waistband of her pants.

"Good. We need to get moving. What's your name, by the way?"

"Katya, but everyone calls me Kat."

Stepping into the living area revealed a strange sight. Four men were bellowing orders and insults at each other, stomping around and crashing into furniture. Ivers paused to give her a reassuring grin and Stephan started wailing as though he was being beaten.

Barney stepped over to two packs on the floor and dug around inside. He removed four single liter bottles and a smaller sack. He placed the sack and the water on the battered desk and came over to Kat.

"I'm going to need to put some restraints on you. You know, for show. Could you put your hands behind your back for me?"

Kat hesitated. It seemed she had no choice but to trust these men. "Just don't make them too tight." She gave a slight smile, "I might need to get out of them."

As Barney fastened the restraints on her wrists, Kat asked, "What's in the bag?"

"Some food. I got my hands on some produce and we try to get fresh stuff to people who help us out. The water has been filtered. You know what they put in the water, right?"

"Yeah, to make you forget."

"Okay, we're all set here. Let's get going." Barney slipped his white mask back over his face.

Stephan, Ivers and the two men dressed as CP finished up their shouting match. As Kat walked to the door with the CP's, she turned to see Stephan emptying the bag. There were some apples, potatoes and a couple of turnips. She realized how lucky she had been living on the farm before the attack two weeks ago. It hadn't been easy, but at least they had eaten pretty well.

Stepping into the hall, Kat was alarmed to see two more CP's. Barney grabbed her roughly by the arm and dragged her down the dimly lit hallway. On the stairs, he leaned close to her ear and whispered, "The show was for the two in the hall. Sorry about your arm."

Kat just nodded to show she understood. She knew she could take any abuse as long as it kept her out of the hands of the Combine.

X X X

The small group had been walking for nearly an hour. Kat's light jacket wasn't doing much to keep her warm and she hoped they were nearing their destination. Barney led the group and the other two flanked Kat, walking slightly behind her. There had been very little conversation along the way, but she had learned that the shorter, older man was named Josef and the slight, young man was named Nolan.

Only a few CP patrols had passed them and none of them seemed to find the group unusual. One group even had a couple prisoners of their own.

They were entering a light industrial area. The squat brick buildings were unremarkable, except that some were obviously in use. As they walked down the dark deserted street, Kat could hear machinery in the closest building. "Why are some of these factories still running?"

Joseph answered, "Most of them produce something for the Combine. Machinery or weapons. Some of them print propaganda. This one here," he gestured at the building they were passing, "packages that slop they call food."

"Are the people forced to work there, or do they do it willingly?"

"Well, I don't know if you could call it 'willingly'. Some are offered incentives like extra food or the chance to contact family members in other cities. Civil Protection works like that. We get all kinds of bonuses, and it helps reinforce the idea that if you're CP, you're superior to the average citizen. It makes it easier to step on the little guys neck since someone is already standing on yours."

Nolan snickered, "What city are you from, Kat? I thought everyone dealt with Civil Protection and the Combine's 'work programs'."

"I'm from outside City 17. I was living on farm about fifteen miles from the city." Kat heard her voice go flat. "Civil Protection showed up two weeks ago and killed everyone there. I was out hunting. That's the only reason I survived. I overheard the name of the officer leading the group and now I'm hunting again. So, yeah, I guess you could say I've dealt with Civil Protection."

Nolan managed a small, "Oh man, I'm sorry." They continued on in silence.

As they progressed deeper into the area, the factories became larger and loomed higher. Some bristled with pipes and tall stacks. There was a strange metallic odor in the air, and one of the occupied buildings seemed to emit the low groans of a tortured giant.

Rounding a corner into a narrow alley, Kat sensed a change in Barney's gait. She heard a whispered, "Oh, shit," from Nolan. Looking over Barney's shoulder, she saw two dark figures walking towards them.

An electronic, unnatural voice rasped through the air. "Halt, citizens."

The group came to a stop. Josef stepped up behind Kat and put a hand on her arm. "Stay calm and be ready," he murmured.

The two Combine soldiers approached with perfectly matched strides. The lenses of their masks flashed blue in the darkness of the alley. Several yards from Barney they stopped. "Where are you taking this female? There is no Civil Protection facility in this area."

Barney replied, "We're under orders to take her in for questioning. We didn't have access to a vehicle tonight, so we're just taking a little shortcut."

"Shortcut?" The soldiers paused as though they needed to process this unfamiliar term.

"There is no Civil Protection facility in this area," the first soldier repeated. "What is the name of the female?"

Barney turned slightly towards Kat. She realized that she had never told him her last name. "Katya Orovjek," she said meekly.

The second soldier put his hand to the side of his black-masked head. "Query. Detainee Status: Katya Orovjek."

Kat could feel the tension building as several seconds passed. "There is no order for the arrest of this citizen. There is also no record of this citizen. Turn her over and come with us for questioning."

"Yes, sir," Barney replied.

To Kat's horror, he turned and reached for her arm. Instead of pulling her towards the Combine soldiers though, he pushed her down and to the side of the alley. Her shoulder cracked painfully with the brick wall and she fell to the ground on her face.

Gunfire exploded through the alley as Kat struggled desperately with her bonds. As she rolled onto her side she heard a cry of pain. It sounded like Josef.

Bullets tore into the wall above her head and pieces of brick fell onto her face. A sudden radio squeal announced the death of one of the Combine soldiers.

Pulling one hand free, Kat grabbed her gun and pushed herself up onto her knees. Josef was huddled against the far wall holding his arm. Nolan crouched behind a stack of shipping crates several feet in front of her. He fired on the hidden soldier, while across the alley, Barney reloaded.

"Don't let him call this in!" Barney yelled and started firing again.

Nolan dug into a pocket on his pack and pulled out a grenade. Pulling the pin, he tossed it well behind the remaining soldier.

Like a pop-up toy, the soldier sprung from hiding and ran across the alley towards them. Kat, Nolan and Barney all stood and fired on the running figure. The black-masked head snapped back and he tumbled limply to the ground.

The grenade exploded ineffectually, echoing through the night.

Nolan ran across the alley. "Josef, are you alright?"

"Yeah, it's not bad. Just grazed my shoulder is all," he responded, clenching his teeth as Nolan examined the wound.

Barney hurried over, tossing his pack to Nolan. "There's a MedKit in there. Kat, help me check the bodies. We'll take those weapons and anything useful they might be carrying. We need to get out of here fast."

Barney and Kat trotted down the alley to the motionless bodies. As they stripped them of weapons and ammunition, Barney looked up at Kat. "You're bleeding."

Kat put her hand to her face. There was a cut at her temple and blood was oozing down her cheek. She wiped it away. "I'm alright. It must be from when I fell."

"Ahh, I'm sorry. I just needed to make sure you weren't…"

"Really, it's okay," Kat interrupted with a small grin. "I'll take a little scrape over a bullet to the head any day."

Barney nodded. "Fair enough. We'll get it looked at when we get back. We're pretty close."

Nolan had patched up Josef and was helping him to his feet.

"You guys ready?" Barney asked. As Nolan and Josef moved towards them, he turned back to Kat. "Take the boots, too. Someone always need boots."

The four figures slipped into the shadows, leaving the barefoot corpses to cool in the night air.

* * *

Okay, sorry about the X's to break up the chapter. The document manager seems to have issues with asterisks. Does anyone have a way to do that a little more gracefully? I didn't want to break this up into three separate chapters. Maybe two chapters, but I felt the first two parts needed to go together. 

Anyway, I _really _fixed the anonymous review thing this time. Missed that stupid "Save Changes" tab. Feh.

Please let me know what you think. I'm having a little trouble on Chapter IV and some reviews might provide the kick in the rear that I need.


	4. Chapter IV

**Desperate Measures**

**Chapter IV**

* * *

Kat reached out and touched the rusting sign hanging next to the loading dock door. "VerroChem… I've heard that name before."

"Yeah," replied Barney as he struggled with the corroded lock on the door. "They were all over the news a couple of years before the Combine showed up. Some big scandal about illegal research or something. It put them out of business. Ah…there!" The lock finally gave in with a sullen _snick._

The three others followed him into the cavernous interior. Removing his mask and pulling out a flashlight, Barney continued. "Anyway, early on when the resistance was just getting started, we stumbled onto a guy who used to work here. He told us about this huge underground complex where all the illegal research went on. VerroChem had kept it a secret through the whole uproar, so there was a good chance the Combine didn't know about it. So, we checked it out and he was right. There were even supplies and equipment left behind."

They had moved from the warehouse-sized storage area into what appeared to be the equally vast manufacturing floor. Moldering machinery filled the room, much of which had been cannibalized for parts. Picking their way across the dark, cluttered floor, the group traveled towards the front of the building.

The administrative section of the factory was comparatively empty. They advanced quickly through the unlit hallways to a large conference room. Barney walked to the back and pressed on one of the acoustic wall panels lining the wall. It swung open to reveal a tiny room containing only an elevator door and security console. He entered a code and the door slid smoothly open.

On the silent ride down, Kat observed the three men. They all looked tired and Josef had grown rather pale. He cradled his wounded arm but the bleeding appeared to have stopped. He leaned his stout body against the wall and stared at the ground. Nolan seemed to be incapable of stillness. He looked as if he was taking an inventory of the numerous pockets on his uniform.

Kat turned her gaze to Barney and found that his attention was already on her. He gave her a friendly smile and turned to the door as a soft chime rang. "Here we are."

They stepped out into a large circular reception area. Eight hallways radiated outwards at equal intervals, each outlined in a different color. The walls were decorated with city maps, anti-Combine propaganda and old family photos. A large clock on the wall read 11:49. Painted in the center of the floor was a large yellow lambda symbol within a circle. Kat followed the men as they walked towards the yellow hallway. Near the entrance a small sign read "Infirmary Hall".

"This place must be enormous," Kat commented as she saw the length of the hallway.

"It's big, but it's really easy to get around," replied Nolan. "It's just like a huge wheel with eight spokes. Everything is grouped together and color-coded. Hey, Barney, you want me to take this equipment to storage since were over here anyway?"

"Yeah," Barney handed his pack to Nolan. "Get this stuff put away, let Maria know we got the filters and then get some rest."

Nolan took the packs and continued down the hall as the other three entered a room labeled "Triage: Room 1". A tall, thin black woman stood up from a desk where she had been doing paperwork. "Ah, Josef, what have you done to yourself this time?" Her voice lilted with the rhythms of Africa.

As she guided Josef to a bed, she turned back to Barney and Kat. "And who is this new face, now?"

"This is Kat Orovjek," Barney replied. "She has a few issues she needs to work out with the Combine. So, it looks like she might be joining up with us. Kat, this is our favorite health professional, Dr. Amina Mbani."

Amina chuckled as she examined Josef's wound. "Always the charmer, Mr. Calhoun. Is your face hurt badly Ms. Orovjek?"

"No, it's just a scrape. Please, call me Kat."

"Very well, Kat, and you can call me Amina. Here, let me take a quick look at it." She moved away from Josef and took Kat's face in her long, slender fingers. She probed gently for a moment. "Yes, I think that you will survive. We'll just get it cleaned up after I'm done with Josef."

Barney turned to Kat. "If you're okay here, I'm going to take off. I've got to get some sleep before tomorrow. Amina will find someone to get you a place after she's done with you."

"Okay," Kat nodded.

As Amina tended to Josef's wound, other resistance members came and went through the room despite the late hour. Several were there to work in the infirmary, but they all stopped to chat with Amina and Josef. Kat watched these simple human interactions with mixed feelings of longing and envy.

Finishing with Josef, Amina sent him off with another health worker. She gently cleaned Kat's wound and announced that there would be no need for any sutures. She snapped off her latex gloves and stood decisively.

"Now, come with me. My shift was over a little while ago anyway. We'll find you a room and some clean clothes. And there are showers, if you'd like one." Walking to the door, she turned back to Kat with a smile, "We even have hot water."

Kat realized she must look awful, but she grinned at thought of an actual hot shower. "That would be… I don't know if I have the words for how wonderful that would be."

Amina laughed. "It's been awhile, eh? Well, we'll get you settled in and let you get some rest. The council will want to meet you tomorrow morning and decide what to do with you."

"Council? What will they want with me?"

"Oh, don't worry. They'll just want to evaluate your talents and figure out where you will fit best in our little family here. The council members are just representatives of the different divisions of the resistance: militia, research scientists, scavengers and so on. It's not nearly as official as it sounds. Most likely, it will just be Dr. Werner, Susan Holmes and maybe a couple of others. Werner fancies himself as the unofficial head of the council. Susan is the one to watch though. She knows every little detail about what goes on down here. Werner would be lost without her."

Amina laughed again at Kat's overwhelmed look. "Relax," she patted Kat's shoulder amiably. "It all seems a bit much at first. You'll fit in before you know it."

X X X

Kat stepped out of the shower, wrapping herself in the coarse towel as two weeks worth of filth spiraled down the drain. The hot water had made her feel relaxed and sleepy; a long forgotten sensation. She padded over to the sinks and wiped the condensation off the mirror. A stranger looked back at her. Kat had never had any illusions of being called beautiful, but she hadn't let it bother her. She always had found that there were more important things to life than makeup, hairspray and obsessing about her body.

She hadn't seen her own face in a mirror for quite some time. Her gray eyes had developed a haunted look and her once glossy chestnut hair was ragged and dull. There was a large scrape and a bruise developing at her left temple.

The scars on her body were a catalogue of the dreadful events she had experienced since the arrival of the Combine. Her right upper arm bore a small pucker where a Combine bullet had pierced it as she tried to flee the initial onslaught with her fiancé. The long scars on her left calf were courtesy of a zombie attack in a ruined building she had tried to shelter in after escaping the troops. Both forearms were mottled from cuts inflicted by headcrabs as she had tried to defend herself and conserve precious ammunition. The worst of the lot, though rather nondescript, had nearly killed her.

She had encountered a pair of strange creatures in a forest clearing while in search of other humans. They were the size of small deer and had long, slender legs. A short neck ended with a low-slung, flattened head sporting two enormous nostrils and a pair of compound eyes. Muscles rippled under the hairless, green and gold dappled skin. The creatures had fluted softly to each other and started trying to flank her. As they stalked closer, a double row of long golden spines rose ominously off their backs.

As soon as she realized their intent, Kat had drawn her weapon and fired on the closest one. Before she could turn to the second, something had slammed into her back, knocking her to the ground. She rolled over, expecting to find snapping jaws, but the creature was still crouched several yards away. It suddenly arched its back and sent a volley of spines hurtling at her. Kat flung herself back onto her stomach, feeling several more spines pierce her back and thighs deeply.

Rolling up onto a hip, Kat fired on the creature before it could attack again. It had fallen to the ground with a hissing shriek. Sobbing in pain, she had removed the barbed spines but the wounds continued to burn.

She had hobbled along for two more days, feeling the infection grow. On the third, she reached the edge of the forest and had been unable to continue. She had wandered into an open meadow, and decided it would be best to die where she could at least see the sky. Blazing with fever, she couldn't quite remember how to remove the safety on her weapon. Her hands felt swollen and useless. Kat sank to the ground, weeping in helpless frustration.

The sun was sinking and Kat thought she heard the voice of her fiancé, "…no, it's coming from over here…"

"I'm here… I'm here…" Her dry throat rasped unintelligibly.

Suddenly, huge figures were looming over her. They looked human, but their features slid around disturbingly on their distorted heads. Kat flailed at them fruitlessly. One pushed its face into hers and boomed, "Well, she still has some fight left. Let's get her back to the farm and let Doc have a look at her."

It had taken over two months for her to recover her strength. The small farm community had supported her until she was able to become a productive member. For two years she felt as though she had a home and a small semblance of normality. Two whole years of security, companionship and freedom.

Then the Combine had come again.

Kat shook herself from the painful memories. She toweled off her damp hair and turned to the pile of clean clothes Amina had left for her. This time would be different. There were others, all working towards the same goal. This time it wasn't just about survival. This time it was about freedom.

X X X

Kat sat cross-legged on her bed and surveyed the tiny room. There was the narrow bed, a footlocker and an old crate functioning as a bedside table. An unforgiving fluorescent light blazed from the ceiling. She smiled to herself. It felt like a suite at the Ritz.

She had awoken a few minutes ago and dressed quickly in the tattered but serviceable jeans, gray turtleneck and oversized black sweater. Her old clothes sat in the footlocker. Her hair was pulled back into it's customary thick braid. To keep from fidgeting while she waited for her escort, she meticulously cleaned her pistol.

A sharp knock sounded at the door. Kat opened it to find a short young woman standing outside. "Glad to see you're up already. I'm Diane. Ready?" Without waiting for an answer, she turned and headed off down the hall.

Taken aback by the woman's brusque manner, Kat closed the door and hurried after her. "I'm sorry, did I…"

"I have _a lot_ of work to get done today," she huffed, her short brown ponytail bouncing with irritation as she marched down the hall. "Shepherding new recruits around is _not_ real high on my priority list. Just because someone else has the sniffles, all the work gets dumped on me."

Kat gave a mental shrug and followed in silence. She wasn't about to let someone else's bad mood dampen her slowly growing sense of hope. Leaving the blue-tiled dormitory hallway, they turned right to travel clockwise around the outer ring of the facility. They passed only a few others who were also hurrying about on their own tasks.

Upon reaching the hall trimmed in a vivid orange, Diane came to a halt. She waved vaguely in the direction of the hall, "Just head down that way. It's about five or six doors on the right. You'll see the sign for Dr. Werner's office." With that, she turned on her heel and continued on her way, mumbling under her breath.

Kat shook her head and turned down the orange hallway. Nearing the office Diane had directed her to, she realized she could hear a deep voice with a German accent coming from the open door.

"…can't just bring in any stray that approaches you on the street. We need to have some security here!"

Kat couldn't hear the muffled response to this statement. The original voice continued.

"Your instincts are not in question. It's a simple matter of whether or not she can be trusted. Think of what you may have put at risk!"

Slowing her pace, Kat realized that they were talking about her. The second person responded clearly enough for her to now recognize Barney's voice.

"Claus, we won't get anything done if we don't take some risks. That's what the whole resistance thing is about! And as far as trust goes, how do you know you can trust any of us down here? _I_ could be a spy for all you know. That's exactly what they want. If we start to think that way, we may as well just head on over to the Citadel and turn ourselves in."

"He's right, Claus," a female voice responded. "We'll just need to keep an eye on her for a while."

Sensing a lull in the conversation, Kat cleared her throat and gave a couple small coughs in the hope of announcing her presence in the hallway. She reached the office and tapped on the doorjamb.

"Come in, please." The German man Kat assumed was Claus waved her into the small meeting room. "Have a seat." He was a tall, burly man with an undisciplined head of thick reddish-brown hair and a comparatively tidy beard. This, along with a pair of small eyes and an unfortunately large nose, gave him the appearance of a half-groomed bear.

Kat stepped into the room and moved towards one of the several empty chairs. Across from her sat Barney, who gave her a nod of greeting. Next to him was a small, fine-boned woman. She wore a pair of owlish glasses that accentuated her sharp gaze. In front of her sat a stack of files and an open notebook.

"Welcome, Ms. Orovjek. I am Dr. Claus Werner, this is Susan Holmes, our record keeper and you have of course met Mr. Calhoun. I apologize for the sparse turnout, but the others are unable to attend for various reasons. In any case, we like to meet and interview any new recruits so we can make the most use of the talents they have to offer.

"As you know, we are all here to work against the Combine. Barney has filled us in on what he knows of your story. But your entrance into the resistance was a bit…unorthodox." He ran a hand though his hair, sending it into further disarray. "Perhaps you will give us a quick explanation as to why you are in City 17 and what you plan on accomplishing."

Kat gave a brief narration of her past two weeks. Susan took a few notes as she talked. "I understand that I probably can't accomplish my original goal, but I'll do whatever I can to hurt the Combine," she concluded.

"Good," Susan said. "We need to have a unified front against them. Now tell me, what is your background?"

"My background?"

"Yes. What did you do before the attacks?"

"Oh. I was an ethologist." Kat paused at their blank looks. "I studied animal behavior. I did mostly field research: time budget studies, group interactions, social cues… I wanted to work on my doctorate but there was always another study to work on."

Dr. Werner leaned forward eagerly, "Have you any interest in xenobiology?"

"Well, I do now. I haven't had any time to seriously study anything, but I think any knowledge we can gain would be to our advantage. I have some ideas about how headcrabs attack…"

"Excellent," Dr. Werner interrupted. "We are sorely lacking in trained xenobiologists. And can you handle a gun?"

"Yes," Kat said. "I was on my own in the field for weeks at time. I carried a gun when I was in areas with large predators. And I needed to be able to tranquilize animals on occasion, so I had to be a good shot. I've gotten even better in the last few years"

"Perhaps you would be willing to do field work again?"

"I guess so."

"Perfect." Dr. Werner sat back in his chair and smiled broadly, "I think we may have just the job for you."


	5. Chapter V

**Desperate Measures **

**Chapter V**

* * *

The gentle rocking of the train was soothing enough to make Barney want to close his eyes again despite his recent nap. He had been sitting on the floor of the narrow boxcar for what seemed like days. Knees popping, he rose to his feet and stretched with a yawn. He paced the length of the dark boxcar in hopes of returning feeling to his lower extremities. 

For months now Barney had been trying to convince Dr. Werner and the others to make some sort of move against the Combine. The conservative Resistance leaders had seemed to be satisfied with small raids and technological research, but things had started to come to a head several weeks ago when the air quality in the city began to decrease rapidly. The Resistance was aware of the large atmosphere conditioning facility on the coast. They had very little information beyond it's location as it was heavily guarded but they knew it's purpose was modify Earth's atmosphere to the Combine's specific needs.

Barney grinned to himself. Kat's sudden appearance had given him exactly the leverage he needed. Werner had been looking for someone to send to the coast to investigate some new alien species. Barney had agreed heartily and then gently suggested a preliminary scouting mission on the atmosphere conditioning facility. Werner had taken the bait and approved the mission although he hadn't wanted Barney to go. It was quite a risk but he was the only one with high enough clearance to get them on and off the high security trains. Getting the time away from his Civil Protection duties hadn't proven to be as hard as expected. He had developed a sudden fever and hacking cough that was sure to keep him out for several days. His superior had simply sent him home with an offhand wave.

Returning to his corner, Barney sat, activated a glowstick and looked at his watch. It would be dawn soon and time to disembark. Kat lay curled on the floor across from him, her head pillowed on her pack. He studied her sleep-smoothed face by the pale light. When he had first met her, she had had the desperate, hollow look of a feral animal. After three days of rest at Resistance headquarters, she had lost some of the gauntness in her face and the wild look in her eyes. She also had proven to be intelligent, a quick study and a hard worker. She had given every indication of being capable member of the scientific team, but had yet to prove herself in the field.

Barney had been a bit concerned at first with her persistence in attempting to locate the CP officer called Lennox. She had hounded him about it until he was able to do a search on a Combine security terminal. Several names had shown up but the only likely match was an officer stationed outside the city. Kat seemed to realize that, beyond a suicide mission, she had little chance of gaining her revenge on this one man and by all appearances had turned her energies to a new focus. The Resistance had offered her a lifeline and she had latched on with determination.

Barney glanced at his watch again and reached out to gave Kat's shoulder a gentle shake. She sat up immediately with a sharp intake of breath. "Whoa, easy there. It's almost time to get off this thing."

Kat rubbed at her face and blinked owlishly at him in the light of the glowstick. "How much longer?"

"Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes. We need to make sure we don't leave anything behind or the scan will pick it up and they'll send out squads." They collected the few items they had removed from their packs and checked over their equipment.

Barney turned to Kat as she checked over her M4. "I never had a chance to ask you what you found out about these things we're after."

She laid the weapon across her knees. "I didn't find out much. Dr. Werner told me that they seem to be something new, brought in by those portal storms we had recently. He called them antlions. They're all over the coast and they seem to be causing the Combine a lot of trouble. He thinks we need to try to figure out some way to use this to our advantage.

"I visited with a few of the Vortigaunts. I figured they might be able to tell me something, but I was disappointed. Only one seemed to know what I was talking about, or at least, he was the only one willing to talk to me."

"What did you find out?"

"Well, from what I could understand, there are two types of antlion. A worker and a larger leader. Kind of like social insects, with lots of workers and one queen. He drew me a crude sketch and these things even look like insects. He said they're fast and dangerous. They burrow into the soil and wait for their prey. Anyway, from the little bit he could tell me about their behavior, I suspect that they communicate with pheromones…"

"You mean by smell?"

"Yeah. He said the workers usually forage for the queen during the day. So I think that would be our best chance to get at one."

"What exactly do you mean by that?"

"Well, I need to have a close look at one of these queens. Preferably a dead one. If we can get a sample of the pheromone, we might be able to reproduce it and use it. At the very least, we might be able to create a sort of worker repellant."

"Okay, but how do we get at one if they're underground?"

"That's the easy part. These things need a lot of food since they're so big. Evidently the queens will feed on the workers if food is in short supply, which I'm guessing it must be, so we just need to provide a corpse. The hard part is that the queen is pretty heavily armored, but there is a weak point. We just need to figure a way to get her in a vulnerable position…"

"Wait a minute. I think we're slowing down." Barney stood. There was a definite change in the rhythm of the train's movement. "C'mon. We don't have too much time once they start to brake." They gathered up their gear and Barney flipped a switch near the door. It slid smoothly open, revealing an open landscape washed in the grays of a false dawn. He leaned out and looked towards the front of the train. In the distance, it was nearing an arch filled with a red scanning field. The train gave a sudden lurch and began to slow rapidly.

He turned to Kat, "You ready?" She nodded, her eyes on the still swiftly moving ground. Barney leaned out of the doorway and punched a code into the security panel mounted on the outside. The door started to slide closed. "Alright. Let's go."

X X X

By mid-morning, under an overcast sky, they were nearing the bluffs at the sea's edge. There was a mild breeze blowing inland carrying the scent of salt and decay. Kat scanned the flat landscape as they hiked along. Flocks of sea birds floated on the air currents. Up ahead there was a strangely uniform group of grayish boulders resting in the waist-high grass. Kat felt a tingle of suspicion run up her spine as they came closer.

She was about to say something to Barney when the boulders erupted from the ground in a storm of honks and snorts.

"Christ!" Barney shouted in surprise, raising his weapon.

"Wait! Don't shoot!" Kat reached out and pulled his arm down. The boulders resolved themselves into a group of bipedal, lumpy looking animals. They milled around for a moment in confusion. "They're harmless, for the most part."

"For the _most_ part?"

The largest creature turned to face them. It erected a colorful fanlike crest around it's blocky head and bellowed at them as the rest of the group lumbered away.

"Well, as long as we don't piss off the matriarch too much. Like shooting at her, for instance." The matriarch bellowed again and shook her head violently, causing the leathery crest to boom and rattle. Kat dropped to her knees and turned her face to the ground. "Just try to be small and inconspicuous. They're not too bright. We just startled them, that's all."

Barney stared at her in amazement for a second and then imitated her unobtrusive posture. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"Just give them a minute to move off and everything will be fine. It's all a big bluff. They're big, but they're herbivores. We used to hunt them on the farm. They're pretty tasty."

"Really? Like chicken?"

"No," Kat laughed. "Actually, it's a bit of an acquired taste, but in the middle of winter it was as good as filet mignon." She looked up, "I think we convinced them we're not a threat." The matriarch was moving off with an indignant air. Kat rose, brushing off her knees.

"How did you know that it was only bluffing? I mean, this one might have been a little grumpier than usual."

"No, if she had been _really_ mad, she wouldn't have bothered with all the noise. Even these alien species are pretty predictable if you take the time to watch them. Animals don't like to take uncalculated risks. That's what makes humans so dangerous; we're unpredictable."

Barney gave a short laugh, "Unpredictable. I like that. You'll have to remind me to tell Dr. Werner that when we get back. It backs up my opinion that he could use a little unpredictability in his life."

"What do you mean?"

"The Resistance is stagnating. We need to do something to shake up the Combine and I'm hoping that's what this mission will start."

X X X

Kat lay at the edge of the bluff. Tucked into a narrow crevice in the ravine floor was the antlion carcass they had acquired earlier. Barney crouched across the ravine, above the carcass. They had been waiting for quite some time. Kat brushed the sand from her face again. The sun was starting to get low in the sky. If the antlion queen didn't return soon, they would have to wait another day. No sooner had she thought this than a cloud of seabirds rose suspiciously from near the entrance to the ravine.

Flattening herself to the ground, Kat watched the ravine entrance. A large creature came around the corner and entered the opening. It moved halfway up the canyon and came to a stop.

It was like nothing Kat had ever seen. It was big. Much bigger than she had expected. Like the smaller antlions, it wore heavy exoskeleton-like armor. Four powerful legs held up the segmented body and two smaller limbs were tucked in close to the abdomen. The head of the creature was mottled and came to a dangerous looking point. Several strange appendages decorated the hunched rust-colored body. They looked like five small decorative blue flags.

Kat waited, nervously gripping the rifle as the enormous beast hesitated suspiciously in the ravine. The blue appendages waved slowly as though examining the air. Finally, it seemed satisfied and moved towards the carcass. Maneuvering to reach the bait, it turned it's back, perfectly positioned. Kat put the scope to her eye.

As the Vortigaunt had said, the antlion queen lowered its head to feed and a gap appeared between the body and the head. Kat took careful aim. Everything narrowed down to the single unarmored point on the creature's neck. She drew in a deep breath and slowly released it. As she exhaled the last bit of air, she pulled the trigger.

A sharp crack rang out and the queen reared up onto it's hind legs with a gibbering wail. It swung around and charged towards Kat's location. Despite her elevation, Kat felt a thrill of fear. With it's sharply pointed limbs, the queen could feasibly climb the ravine wall. She dropped the rifle and lurched to her feet grabbing the M4 lying behind her. As she looked back down though, the creature was careening wildly around the canyon floor. It suddenly crashed headlong into the far wall and fell into a heap. It tried to rise but seemed unable to get it's legs to work correctly.

Kat looked across the ravine. Barney stood watching the queen's death throes. She yelled to him, "Go watch for the kids, I'll take care of mommy." He waved back in reply and started towards the entrance. Kat grabbed her pack and jogged along the rugged edge of the canyon and descended the narrow path that they had found earlier. Already she could feel the growing excitement of examining a new species.

Upon reaching the ravine floor and starting to cross to the queen, she was again struck by its size. When upright, it had to have stood about seven feet tall or more. As she approached it, Kat realized that it wasn't quite dead. It's legs twitched sporadically and it was emitting a deep, uncomfortably dissonant moan. She looked nervously towards the canyon entrance. The low groaning was sure to carry for quite a distance. She crept cautiously closer, aware that she had no idea where to find anything vital enough to kill it. The last thing she wanted to do was riddle the body with bullets and risk damaging something important. To her relief, the huge body gave a sudden convulsive shudder and went still.

Kat walked up to the dead queen, wrinkling her nose at the strong musky scent it gave off. She quickly tromped down a flat patch of grass and pulled a crude dissection kit from her pack. Spreading out an array of knives, scalpels, probes and sample bags and jars, she deeply regretted being unable to take the time for extensive notes and sketches. After a quick examination of the external features of the body she started the dissection. Carefully working her way into the abdomen, she quickly became fascinated with the bizarre alien organs.

Her study was interrupted some time later by the sound of gunfire echoing up the canyon. _Dammit_! She knew she was getting close to the source of the odor and what she hoped would prove to be the pheromones. She quickened her search, pushing unlikely organs aside as the firing continued. Elbow deep into the warm body cavity she suddenly found four tennis ball-sized glands. The odor was staggering. She hastily cut them free.

"Kat! Kat, get the hell out of there!"

She spun around to see Barney running along the edge of the ravine. Below him a group of antlions were rapidly approaching her position. He stopped to fire on them as they flung themselves at the steep walls. Several broke away from the group and headed towards Kat. She flung her knife to the ground and snatched up a bag. One of the slick glands slipped from her hands as she attempted to stuff them into the sack.

Jamming the bag in a vest pocket, she frantically grabbed for her weapon. Her hands, slick with yellowish gore, slipped clumsily on the grip. Backing towards the carcass, Kat fired on the closest antlion. It fell to the ground as two others launched themselves, whirring through the air towards her. She dodged around the queen's body as the workers crashed to back to earth where she had been standing. Peering over the body, she fired several short bursts at the two insect-like beasts as they circled the pile of organs she had discarded. They both fell easily enough from the damage of the bullets, but more were on the way. Kat continued shooting until she was nearly out of ammunition.

Ducking back down behind the queen's body, Kat quickly removed her spent magazine and pulled another from her vest pocket. She reloaded and took a couple of deep breaths. She could hear more of the workers buzzing and chittering on the other side of the body. They sounded close. Looking carefully from under one of the huge legs, she saw three more workers standing over the pile of organs. Kat ducked back, her brow furrowed in confusion. This certainly didn't seem like normal behavior. They weren't attacking nor did they seem to be interested in the organs as food. The pheromones, perhaps?

Kat's mind raced. It was time for a quick experiment. She pulled out the sack containing the three glands. Removing one, she tossed it across the ravine where it landed with a dull splat. The antlion workers immediately skittered towards it. Kat looked over the carcass. Even the remaining antlions near Barney's position had rushed over to join the others.

"What did you do?" Barney yelled down to her.

"I think we found our pheromones!" Kat stood slowly, feeling a wash of victorious excitement. The closest antlions turned to face her and arched their backs, flashing their patterned wing covers but made no move towards her. She edged around the body towards her equipment.

"Stay where you are! We need to take out the rest of those things or you'll never get out of there."

"No," Kat shouted back. "I don't think they'll attack. Don't do anything to get them agitated again." She quickly gathered up her equipment and the dropped pheromone gland, keeping a careful eye on the antlions.

Barney had moved along the edge of the ravine and now crouched above her position. "Kat, this is too risky."

She flashed a smile up at him, "I thought you were the one who was all for taking risks. Don't worry. If they make a move towards me, I won't take any chances." Before he could respond, she slipped along the wall of the ravine and moved towards the pathway on the opposite side.

As she suspected, the antlions simply watched her progress. The intense odor of the pheromone gland they surrounded seemed to overpower any scent she was giving off. She quickly reached the path and ascended as rapidly as possible. Reaching the top, she found Barney waiting for her.

"That had to be one of the… Oh my God! What's that smell?" He backed away, waving his hands in front of his face.

Kat grinned broadly, "Awful, isn't it? How about we call it Eau d'Antlion?"

X X X

By nightfall, they had located a sheltered spot to camp and some fresh water for Kat to wash up. The scent still lingered a bit but they both found it easy enough to ignore with the odor of woodsmoke and their meager meal drifting through the air. Over the small campfire, they discussed the day's events.

"So we just need to catch one of those trains back into the city tomorrow?" Kat asked.

"Not exactly. We have one more thing to do first. Remember the facility I told you about? The one the our train was heading towards?"

Kat nodded, "Yeah, the one that's changing the air quality."

"Well, we need to get there and have a look at it. It should be simple enough; just a straight-forward scouting mission."

* * *

Whew! I never thought I would finish this chapter. I took a little while to rework my overall plot, so I hope this feels like it's moving in an interesting direction. 

Sulkdodds, thanks so much for the review. I know I've moved away from the CP angle, but I expect to be returning towards it in the future. I hope I haven't disappointed you.

As usual, let me know what you think. Comments, questions, constructive criticism, whatever. Thanks!


	6. Chapter VI

**Desperate Measures **

**Chapter VI

* * *

**

"What would you say that last bit was; three quarters or half a mile?"

"Mmmm…probably closer to three quarters." Kat was hunched over the notebook in her lap, carefully sketching the contours of the land and the features of the security perimeter. Barney had been quite relieved to learn of this ability of hers as he had no artistic talent whatsoever. A map of the area surrounding the Atmosphere Control Facility could prove to be quite useful. They had worked their way around the wide perimeter of guard posts and patrols and now only needed to slip past security and get a look at the facility itself.

The open, rolling grasslands near the sea had given them very little cover. They had proceeded slowly around to the south, sticking to the far sides of the hills and watching carefully for the small patrols that moved regularly between the posts. Their rounds were rather predictable and Barney could foresee few problems with slipping past them.

He knew Kat was not completely comfortable with this part of the mission and she seemed to be especially nervous about approaching the facility itself. He did the best he could to reassure her that there was little risk as long as they remained alert and careful. After all, it was just a simple scouting mission.

They were sitting in a hollow, shielded by several large boulders. The shadows stretched towards the east. Barney checked over the night-vision binoculars for the third time while they waited for night. Kat finally snapped her notebook closed and stowed it deep in her pack. "I think I've got most of the details in there."

"Good. I wasn't sure how I was going to get all that recorded. Let's wait another half-hour and head out."

X X X

The half-moon was low in the sky, giving them just enough light to see by as they approached the glow in the distance. The craggy bluffs sloped upwards slightly as they neared the sea, blocking most of the view. As they crawled the last few dozen yards, Barney felt as though his perspective was being distorted. He had been led to believe that the Atmosphere Control Facility was a large building, but the parts he could above the edge of the bluff see seemed much too small. Reaching the edge, he realized his mistake; the darkness was throwing off his depth perception. The building was not on the beach as he had expected.

"My God…" Kat whispered next to him.

The facility was immense. It squatted above the waves two hundred yards out to sea, lit up like a malignant Christmas tree. It had a piecemeal look to it, connected with odd angles and multiple levels. Banks of intake fans lined one side and two colossal exhaust towers belched the modified air into the atmosphere. Around the base of the structure, huge pipes descended into the water. A causeway spanned the distance to the shore where various support buildings were located.

"Do you see that building on the shore down there?" Barney whispered, pointing for Kat. "Does it look new to you?"

Kat pulled out her binoculars. Everything was so well lit there was no need for night-vision. She studied the building for a moment. "I think you're right. In fact, it doesn't even look completed. Here," she handed him the binoculars.

Barney examined the structure. It had the rough look of something recently and hastily constructed. On the far side were a set of railroad tracks and what looked like an ore depot. A long train was slowly unloading it's cargo. Two flatbed trucks backed up to a loading dock were being stacked with large yellow barrels. "There are tracks down there. I wonder if they're the same ones we passed over on our way around the perimeter."

"The new ones?"

"Yeah. It looks like they're processing something down there." Barney lowered the binoculars and turned to Kat. "I think they found something that's letting them speed up their production. It just seems like too much of a coincidence."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, there's all this recent construction. The air in the city is getting worse all of the sudden. For the last month or so we've been getting reports of Combine activity in the northwest where, as far as we know, there's nothing that should interest them. The new tracks were headed in that direction"

Kat turned back to him suddenly, "Northwest of the city?"

"Yeah, in the foothills. Why?

She dropped her eyes and shook her head, "Nothing."

"Wasn't that where you were…"

Kat interrupted suddenly, "I don't see how we could do much damage to this place. Weren't you hoping to lead a group back here?"

Barney blinked at the abrupt change of topic. "Uh…yeah. That's what I wanted to do, but I had figured on something we could get to easily. Out in the water like that though, I don't know. It's pretty isolated. If we could get someone out there with some explosives, maybe…" He shook his head and thought for a moment.

"We need to find out what they're hauling in here. If it's some sort of vital resource, it might be another good target. We'll need a sample."

Kat took the binoculars and peered through them again. "That train is pretty long. If we could get down there, it wouldn't be too hard to get at one of the cars near the end. I don't see much activity; it looks like most of the process is automated."

"Good idea. Why don't you get a sketch of this area and then we'll go check it out."

Kat dug out her notebook and roughed out the layout of the facility. She shook her head as she added a few details and notes. "I hope this is useful. I'm not used to drawing by moonlight."

Barney looked over her shoulder, "It looks fine to me, but all I can draw are stick figures." After a few more minutes, she finished up and repacked her notebook.

"Okay, let's go."

They crawled back from the edge of the cliff and headed towards the tracks. The bluffs sloped gently downwards as they traveled along in silence. After some time they came to an excavated area where the bluff had been gently sloped down to the level of the beach. The tracks slipped away to the northwest, gleaming silver in the moonlight.

The train stretched up the slope towards them. The cars were simple open-topped ore hoppers. Every minute or so, the train slowly moved forward a car-length. Barney scanned the area, "I don't see any security. You keep watch and I'll grab a sample."

Kat reached into her pack and handed him a sample container. "Be careful."

"I'm always careful." Barney gave her a grin, "Don't worry, I'll just grab this and then we'll head home. No problem."

He jogged over to the train and waited for it to stop. Quickly climbing the ladder on the side of the hopper, he leaned in and scooped up a sample of the dark shale-like rocks inside. He dropped back to the ground and returned to Kat.

"There we go! That was easy. Now we just need to find somewhere quiet to hang out until we can catch our train home."

"Sounds good to me. Let's get away from this place."

X X X

Kat fought her way out of a light sleep. She sensed that she had been sleeping longer than a couple of hours. Sitting up, she looked around the moonlit hollow. There was no sign of Barney. She angled her watch to catch the meager light and checked the time. It would be dawn soon. He should have woken her several minutes ago.

She stood and stretched her cold stiffened muscles. In mid-stretch Kat froze. There was a sound in the distance, something unnatural. She strained to see anything that looked human. "Barney?" she hissed quietly. There was no response. A tingling sensation ran up her spine. Something was wrong.

Most of her equipment lay in a small pile where she had been sleeping. She slipped into her vest and shouldered her small pack. The MP-7 she attached to a three-point sling to keep it handy, but out of the way. Moving quietly, she headed towards the edge of the forest where she had heard the sound.

Progressing slowly, Kat strained with all of her senses to catch any bit of information in the dim landscape. She carefully picked her way through the fallen forest detritus. A sudden nearby crackle broke through the quiet. Kat dropped to the ground. _Combine! _

They were very close. She felt that there was no way they could miss the pounding of her heart. Kat could see them moving not far from her location. There were two of them bent over something on the ground. One was crouched down as though examining the object. Kat slipped behind a tree and watched.

"…_just one?"_ She could barely hear the distorted voices.

"…_didn't see any sign…"_

"_Probably a Resistance spy…report it… question him…"_

Kat's stomach clenched in terror as she realized what they were talking about. The dark figures bent to grab the arms of the fallen figure and dragged it towards the forest's edge. Ducking back behind the tree, Kat fought to subdue her rising panic. She felt as though she couldn't breath. Her heart was racing and her vision seemed cloudy. Gasping with shallow breaths, she pulled her knees to her chest and rested her forehead on them. She closed her eyes, but she could still see…

_Lying on the hillside above the farm, with chaos below. Combine and Civil Protection units swarming through the buildings. Echoing gunfire in the valley. Lucia's screams cut short. Therese and Viktor flushed from the tool shed where they were hiding. The bullets mowing them down as they ran. Helpless, helpless… CP's dragging the bodies into the barn. Two of them pulling Joshua's shattered body along by the arms. The smell of the burning buildings. So much smoke. The feel of the heat on her face even at that distance. Everyone she knew…gone. _

Kat slowly regained her senses. She lay curled on the forest floor, shaking uncontrollably_. Calm, I have to stay calm. I am of no use in a panic._ She repeated this mantra to herself several times and took deep breaths until she felt able to move again. Hands still shaking slightly, she sat up and checked to make sure she hadn't dropped anything.

She stood and moved to where the troopers had dragged Barney off. The trail was easily visible in the growing light of dawn. Kat followed the path to the verge of the forest where it turned north. She slipped along within the cover of the woods. After a short distance, she spotted a dilapidated cabin set back against the forest. She circled around the back, noting several sheds and outbuildings and began to concoct a plan.

* * *

How about a cliff hanger for a change? I know it's a lot shorter. It was going to be about twice as long, but I think it works better as two chapters. Plus, it gives me some more time to work over the next one. It should be up soon!

Thanks for the reviews, especially to Sulkdodds. You are the **first** person out there to give me something specific. Thank you, thank you! I'm gladyou liked that part. I was really worried about it as it was the first real 'action' and I was unsure how well I could write it. Sounds like I got it right. Yes, this takes place some time before Gordon's arrival. I'm not sure how long though. I've toyed with the idea of having it parallel the game eventually, but that would probably be a whole different story. I have no interest in just redoing the storyline of the game with some new characters thrown in.

Stormsworder, I'm waiting on that next chapter. :)

Anyway, I hope you guys like it. Please feel free to critique.


	7. Chapter VII

**Desperate Measures**

**Chapter VII

* * *

**

Kat slipped back from the decaying woodshed into the cover of the forest's edge. She moved as deeply into the forest as would allow a clear line of sight and positioned herself behind some low bushes. From her chosen position, she could easily see both sides of the cabin and the shed. For a few minutes she worried that the small fire wouldn't take, but the old shed was quite dried out and soon started crackling enthusiastically. Setting her MP-7 to single-fire, Kat settled in and waited anxiously. After a few more minutes she saw a masked face at one of the windows.

Two combine troopers soon came jogging around the corner of the cabin. They both stood staring at the flames as if unsure what to do about the situation. Kat knew she would probably only have one good clear shot. She felt an icy calm descend, everything jumping into crystalline focus. One of the troopers turned to walk back to the cabin. Taking careful aim, she waited until he had nearly cleared the corner of the building. As he stepped out of sight of his companion she pulled the trigger. The SMG bucked in her hands and the trooper fell to the ground. She immediately sighted on the second trooper. He had turned towards the sound of the shot and dropped to one knee. As he fumbled for his sidearm, Kat put a bullet through his chest. He toppled over backwards, his feet drumming on the ground for a moment and then went still.

Kat stood and moved cautiously towards the burning shed, switching her weapon back from single shot to burst. As she passed the fallen trooper, she picked up his dropped H&K pistol and stuffed it in a vest pocket. Keeping low, she moved quickly to the back of the cabin. As she progressed around the building she paused at each window, listening carefully. Reaching the front of the cabin, she could hear someone moving around inside and the sound of radio chatter.

Feeling like a spectator to her own actions, Kat slowly eased herself up to peer into the closest window. Inside was a single black masked figure. He stood facing the door; a shotgun was held ready at his hip but his attention was turned to a blinking security console. She ducked back down, readied her weapon and took a deep breath. Taking a step back from the cabin, she popped up and fired a burst through the window. There was a heavy thud inside the building and the crackle of damaged electronics.

Kat ran to the front door, dropped to a crouch and pushed it open with the muzzle of her weapon. As the door creaked open, a shotgun blast exploded though the top half of it. _Shit! _She fell back from the door, heart pounding. Gathering herself up, she quickly moved back to the window.

Feeling along the foundation of the cabin, Kat picked up two golf ball-sized rocks. She tossed one gently to land on the steps at the front of the building and then hurled the second to hit lower half of the shattered door. She was immediately rewarded with a second roar from the shotgun. At once, she stood and fired into the room. The soldier had been lying on his side, gun pointed awkwardly at the door. The weapon dropped from his hands and he rolled onto his back with a gurgle. Kat watched for a moment and could detect no movement. Cautiously, she entered the building.

The small cabin had only a few nearly empty rooms. In a corner of the front room Kat noted a pile of familiar looking equipment. She quickly checked for any remaining Combine soldiers. In the last room she found Barney lying motionless on the floor, his hands and feet tied. Kat scanned the corners of the room and hurried over to him. She felt a wash of relief to find him still breathing, though unconscious. Kneeling at his side, she cut him loose and shook his shoulder.

"Barney! Wake up!" He shifted slightly with a groan.

"Come on, _please_ wake up!" Kat rolled him onto his back and lightly slapped his face. He clumsily raised a hand to fend her off. She grabbed his hands and tried to pull him up into a sitting position. He groaned again as he sat up and pulled one of his hands away, putting it to the back of his head. Kat reached around and felt a large lump at the base of his skull. Her hand came back bloody.

"Oh God… Do you think you can walk?"

He finally turned his gaze to hers, his green eyes vague and unfocused. "…Kat…?"

"Barney! Please! You have to try to stand up." She tugged frantically at his arm. "I think they might have called for backup. I'm sure they reported your capture. We've _got_ to get out of here!" Every second that ticked by, Kat could feel their chances of escape getting smaller.

As Kat helped him to his feet, Barney seemed to gradually regain his bearings. "They…they took all my stuff…"

"It's okay. I saw it in the front room." Kat guided him towards the front of the small building where they quickly collected his equipment.

"Are you going to be okay? We're going to have to move fast."

"Yeah, my head hurts like hell, but I don't feel so…fuzzy." He examined the sparking console. "Damn. It looks like you were right about the backup. We better get going."

They ran out of the cabin and started towards the woods. As they passed along the side of the cabin, Kat glanced down. She came to a sudden halt. "Wait a minute. I have an idea." She dug around for a moment at the exposed foundations and stuffed several egg-sized rocks in her vest pockets. She handed a half-dozen more to Barney. "Hold on to these. Come on." She turned back towards the open land between the forest and the seaside.

Barney grabbed her arm, "Where are you going? We'll be completely exposed out there!"

"I know, but how long do you think we'll last in the forest? There's plenty of cover, but they'll track us down eventually. You know that. You have to trust me." They stood for a moment, eyes locked.

At last Barney gave a short nod. "Okay. Let's go." They turned away from the forest and jogged across the open plain towards the sea.

They were nearly halfway there when they heard the sound of vehicles approaching in the distance. Barney looked back. "Damn it! Two APC's. Run!" The vehicles accelerated, engines roaring, as the drivers spotted the fleeing figures. Two hundred yards to go and the ground became rocky and uneven.

Kat ran for all she was worth, pulse pounding in her ears. The APC's were rapidly gaining on them but would certainly be hindered by the rough ground. Barney was slightly ahead and seemed to be trying to find a path that would slow the vehicles.

One hundred yards. Her lungs were burning and it felt as though her equipment had doubled in weight. The sound of the vehicles slowed and came to a stop. There was a pause then a few shots rang out. Kat and Barney both ducked reflexively. The soldiers didn't seem to be in a rush. _They think they have us trapped._

Fifty yards. As they neared the edge of the bluff, Barney shouted over his shoulder, "Now what?"

"Just find us a way down to the beach! I'll take care of the rest!"

They ran along the edge of the bluff. The soldiers weren't even bothering to fire at them now although she could hear them following. Barney gave a sudden shout, "Here!" He had found a steep slope deeply eroded into the wall of the bluff. He crouched down at the head of the narrow defile.

Kat skidded to a halt and crouched next to him. Gasping for breath, she reached into her vest pockets and pulled out a plastic bag and a couple of rocks. She removed an antlion gland from the bag and gave it a gentle squeeze. A dark, noxious paste oozed out. She rubbed some on the rocks and tossed them down to the shoreline. She then took a small amount, smeared it on the front of her vest and did the same for Barney. There was an ominous clattering from the beach.

She marked several more rocks and handed some to Barney. "Are you ready?"

He looked down at the beach. Already there were at least a half-dozen antlions swarming around the rocks Kat had thrown. He leaned forward and put a hand on Kat's shoulder, "Are you _absolutely_ sure about this?"

She hesitated, dropping her gaze. "I'm as sure as I can possibly be."

"Kat…"

She returned his stare fiercely, "What do you want me to say? There's not much of a choice now anyway. How many soldiers could there be in those APC's? Can we fight all of them?"

"Point taken. Next time just say 'Yes, Barney, I am _absolutely_ sure.' You want to flip for who goes first?"

There was a sudden crackle of Combine radios from nearby. Kat slipped past him with a strained smile, "It's my lunatic idea. I'll go." She slid down the steep slope sitting back on her heels. Barney followed close behind.

They reached the bottom in a small avalanche of sand and pebbles. The growing group of antlions immediately took notice and headed towards them. Kat readied her weapon and held her breath as they approached. There was no aggressive posturing though and the antlions simply circled around them as though to examine these new creatures.

"Unbelievable," Barney murmured.

Kat allowed herself a small smile and turned to him, keeping her movements controlled and deliberate. "Okay. Now we have our cavalry." She looked back up the slope. "How far can you throw?"

Barney followed her gaze. "I can get a rock to the top of the bluff, if that's what you want."

"Throw one about halfway and let's see if they take the bait." He did as she asked and most of the antlions skittered up the slope, several remaining behind as though to guard them.

Over the chittering of the antlions, Kat could hear the sounds of the Combine soldier's radios at the top of the bluff. "Now! Quick, don't let them see us down here!" Barney heaved the rock. The antlions midway up the slope launched themselves after it as it passed overhead.

Kat and Barney ducked behind the wall of the bluff. The sound of gunfire and frantic radio communication burst out from above.

Barney turned to Kat with a grin, "Well, it looks like you might have found Werner his secret weapon. And he'll be _sooo_ thrilled to hear that you're not a risk taker. Come on, let's get out of here."

* * *

I had such a vivid image in my mind for the chase, but it seemed to end up pretty short. I hope it came out right. It sure looked good in my head.: )

I'll keep up with this, but I'm a little stuck again. I know where the story is going, but I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to get it there.

Metroid13 - Just curious; did you read the whole chapter? Barney survived removing his mask in the game, so I figured it would be okay here. Anyway, in my personal HL2 universe in my head, CP are unmodifiedhuman volunteers, therefore they are not totally dependent on their masks. That's just my view and I understand that there are a lot of theories on, well, lots of stuff in the game. That's kind of what got me writing this fanfic in the first place. I hope that little point didn't ruin the whole thing for you. : )


	8. Chapter VIII

**Desperate Measures **

**Chapter VIII

* * *

**

The dim light of the passageway was soothing to Kat's eyes. She didn't need to work as hard to keep them focused in the low light. Barney dragged along next to her, shoulders slumped with exhaustion. Three days with little sleep was taking it's toll. They had come through one of the hidden entrances to the Resistance headquarters and Kat felt almost giddy at the thought of the hot shower and bed waiting for her.

As they walked along the passage, a figure jogged towards them. It was Diane, the disagreeable young woman who had escorted Kat to her first meeting with Dr. Werner and Susan Holmes. She trotted up with a grin, "Glad to see you back! Dr. Werner is waiting for you; he wants to see you…both of you right away."

"Right away?" Barney asked. "Can't it wait a couple of hours?"

"No. As soon as security picked you up he started collecting all the available council members together. He's pretty excited to hear about what you found."

Barney sighed heavily and continued to trudge up the passageway. Diane followed along, pelting him with questions about the mission. She barely acknowledged Kat's presence, which was fine by Kat. She felt she didn't have the energy to string together a coherent sentence anyway.

As they reached the outer ring of the base, Barney stopped and turned to Diane, "Do you think you could take some of this stuff to storage for us?"

Her eyes flicked briefly to Kat, "Sure. No problem."

Barney handed over his weapons and equipment, while Kat dug through her pack. She pulled out her notebook and samples and handed the rest to Diane. As Kat thanked her, she was treated to a sour look. She turned to Barney as they walked away, "I get the feeling she doesn't like me."

"Don't take it personally. She treats almost everyone that way. I convinced her join the Resistance instead of Civil Protection, so somehow that seems to make me her savior."

"Ahh. So I guess that means I'm not welcome as a fellow disciple," she responded with a smile.

Barney snorted, "That's the last thing I need. Anyway, I think I owe you now. I would have been checking into Nova Prospekt last night."

"Well, let's just call it even then. You don't need to owe me any favors."

"I'd hardly call it even, but if that's what you want..."

There were already several council members waiting in the meeting room when they arrived. All heads turned as they entered. The bearish Dr. Werner stood, a smile fading from his face. "Mein Gott, Calhoun. You two look awful."

"Yeah. Sorry Doc, they're a little short on the five-star hotels out there."

Werner winced slightly, "Yes, well, come sit down then and tell us what you found. We will try to make this quick."

As they settled in, Susan spoke up. "We're glad to see you back safe. We had heard rumors through our contacts that there was Resistance activity at the Atmosphere Control Facility. They told us there had been a capture and an escape attempt but that there had been no survivors." She raised an eloquent eyebrow at Barney.

Barney nodded, "That was my stupid mistake and Kat's quick thinking. It looks like she figured out those bugs. If you can get past the smell, they can be pretty useful." He turned to Kat.

"They communicate with pheromones. We managed to kill a queen and I found four glands that produce the substance." She set the samples on the table. "The odor is rather strong, but it seemed to fool the workers into thinking we were antlions. We ended up using scent-marked rocks to goad the workers into attacking the Combine soldiers that were pursuing us. I was hoping it would look like we had been killed on the beach."

One of council members, a stout Asian woman, stared greedily at the samples, "We must get this off to the chemistry lab at once! If we can replicate the substance…" She looked at Dr. Werner.

"Yes, Xian, go ahead and get started on it. Excellent job, Ms. Orovjek. This could be quite a breakthrough. And Barney, did you find anything of interest at the ACF?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. They're hauling in something on some new tracks. We got a sample of it. I think it might be related to their increased production and might have something to do with that activity we've been hearing about in the northwest."

Werner waved the statement off, "You have no way of knowing if the two are related."

An older man with the air of the military about him looked up. "You know, Claus, we started receiving reports of Combine activity in that area northwest of the city a couple of months ago. It looked like they were doing some scouting. They cleared out any nearby settlements and set up a pretty tight cordon around the area since then, so we haven't been able to get a look at what they're up to, but it must be pretty important. And there are new railroad tracks coming out of the area…"

Kat felt the blood drain out of her face as the room slipped sideways nauseatingly. A small ember that had been smoldering in her chest for weeks bloomed into flame. The meeting continued on as a faint buzzing in her ears.

Suddenly there was someone shaking her arm. "Are you okay?" She looked up to see people leaving the room. Barney was looking down on her with concern.

She staggered to her feet, avoiding his eyes. "I'm fine. Just…tired." Shaking her head, she roughly brushed past him, hurrying to the door, "I just need some sleep."

Barney trailed after her. "I saw your face in there. Do you want to talk about it?"

She continued walking swiftly down the hall, eyes straight ahead, "No. I don't." To her relief, she didn't hear him follow. She hurried along to her room and shut the door. She walked to the bed and curled herself onto it, lying with her eyes open. Sleep would only bring more of the dreams now.

Her impotent rage bubbled painfully in her chest. All of those people killed for a bunch of rocks. Just knowing the reason seemed to make it worse somehow. As fantastic plots of revenge swirled through her mind, a knock sounded at the door. She knew who it was.

"I'm fine, Barney."

"Can I come in for a minute please?"

"I'm trying to get some rest."

"No you're not."

Kat sat up with a sigh. "Alright."

Barney stepped into the room, his face grave. "We need to talk."

When she didn't respond, he sat on the bed next to her. "I know you have nightmares. I saw your face during that meeting when the settlements were mentioned, and I've noticed how you always try to avoid talking about what happened. It doesn't help to bottle it all up."

Kat drew in a shuddering breath and stared fixedly at her hands clenched in her lap. "I can't."

"Look, I know what happened to you was awful. Everyone here…"

"But it didn't happen to me! It happened to them! And I _know_ that everyone has a horror story. That's what makes it so awful. I don't deserve any dramatics." She held her shaking hands out in front of her, "This isn't how I'm supposed to be. Why is this happening? What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing is wrong with you. You will get over it, trust me. It really does help if you talk about it."

"I can't. I can't even think about it."

Barney was quiet for a long moment. Finally, he spoke softly, "I've seen other people self-destruct, Kat, and that's where you're headed. I know what I'm talking about. I've been there myself."

Kat turned and looked at him silently. "I told you that I worked at Black Mesa. Well, not many people survived that mess. I had to go through some…awful stuff to get out of there and I left a lot of friends behind.

"We had to flee the country because our own government wanted to kill us. Some of the scientists I helped escape had friends in Germany, so I went with them. Everything seemed fine at first. We kept busy moving around a lot, but after three or four months I started having nightmares. Then the nightmares got worse and I started drinking too much." He shrugged, "It was the only way I could get any sleep. Then I started having nightmares when I was awake…flashbacks, I guess."

He paused for a moment. "I hit rock bottom when I…I attacked one of the scientists over some stupid little thing. That's when I met Amina and she convinced me to talk about what happened. She kept saying it was like draining an abscess. Every time I told the story, it seemed like it was, I don't know, something that was outside of me, not locked away inside and festering."

Kat nodded thoughtfully. "Thank you for telling me. I'm sure you're right, but I'm just not ready yet. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. Like I said, I've been there. I know how hard it is to open up." He stood and moved towards the door. "It might take awhile, but you can talk to me whenever you're ready. I'm sure Amina would listen, too."

As she watched the door shut, Kat's thoughts started circling again. She stood and paced the length of her tiny room. The thought of unburdening herself was appealing, but the pain it would involve was terrifying. Barney certainly meant well, but she couldn't afford to let her guard down again. She had made that mistake on the farm and she didn't want to do it a second time.

She paced for a long time, struggling to push the rage and fear back down. _If only… If only… If only I could…_ What? Lennox was out of her reach and the Combine was an impossible foe. Her frustrated emotions ripped at her. There was no answer.

Exhausted, she finally sat on the bed and pulled out her notebook. Sleep was still too much of a risk. There was an old game she had played in college to help her study and when she was distracted it often helped soothe her mind. She and her classmates would list an order of animals and see who had the best memory. She selected one of her favorite orders and started a list.

Order: Cetacea (14 families; 40 genera; 85 species)

Suborder: Odontoceti – Toothed Whale

Family: Phocoenidae – Porpoises (6 species)

_Phocoena phocoena – _Harbor porpoise

_Phocoena spinipinnis_ – Burmeister's porpoise

_Phocoena sinus_ – Vaquita

_Phocoena dioptrica_ – Spectacled porpoise

_Phecoenoides dalli_ – Dall's porpoise

_Neophocaena phocaenoides_ – Finless porpoise

Family: Delphinidae – Dolphins (36 species)

_Cephalorhynchus commersonii_ – Commerson's dolphin

_Cephalorhynchus eutropia_ – Black dolphin…

She had nearly finished the list when she finally fell asleep, pen in hand.

X X X

Kat worked hard to keep herself busy as the next few weeks passed. She wrote a report on the antlions and the behaviors she had observed and worked up some detailed sketches from what she could remember of the internal and external anatomy. Amina often found jobs for her in the labs and she enjoyed working with the calm, patient doctor. Barney stopped by periodically to check in on her. She knew he was concerned about her state of mind, but he did his best to avoid the subject.

When she had first arrived at the Resistance headquarters, it had seemed to be a fairly quiet place, but every day now there were new faces and more activity. Shortly after their return from the coast, a scouting party had been sent to the secure area in the foothills to the northwest. They had confirmed a large mining operation that looked as if it might be supplying most of Eastern Europe. An attack was being planned, although Kat knew little of the details. She knew that it was unlikely she would be able to participate and the thought frustrated her endlessly.

X X X

"Kat, hold on a second!"

She turned to see Barney striding down the gently curving hallway towards her. It always seemed incongruous to see him in his Metrocop uniform inside the Resistance base.

"Are you busy? Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure. I just finished up in the lab. What do you need?"

He took her arm and guided her to a quiet spot in the hallway. "Are you still interested in going on this assault on the mine?"

"Of course I am. Why?"

"Colonel Damarov wants us to put together small teams to get out of the city unnoticed. I'm heading one up and I want you in it."

"Really? I thought this was a 'veterans only' mission."

"It is, but you have the skills we need, so I think you qualify. I know what you said, but I stillowe you one, so I pulled a couple strings. I think it would do you some good to get out there and do something instead of just stewing in here. I just want it to be clear that this is not a revenge mission though."

She nodded, "I understand."

"Good. We're meeting tomorrow night in the big conference room. I'll see you there."

* * *

Well, I was trying for something different here and I'm not sure if it works or not. She has a few issues I felt needed adressing. This chapter gave me fits; it's hard getting into someone elses head. Anyway, the action will be back soon. I hope no one is snoring out there. 

B.C. 2501 - Thanks, I'm glad you liked it!

Stormsworder - Thank you. I'm always concerned that I'm not getting enough detail into the story.


	9. Chapter IX

**Desperate Measures**

**Chapter IX**

* * *

Kat pressed her eye firmly against the chink in the wall. The windowpane rattled alarmingly above her head. She could make out the three-legged shadow of a looming creature moving up the street. The rest of the team huddled against the wall, waiting for the passing of the behemoth. She resisted the temptation to stand and look out the window, though she found that by sitting back on her heels and looking up she had a view of the comparatively small body as it swayed past. She quickly jammed her face back into the small opening to watch the movement pattern of the three legs.

Without thinking, she suddenly heard herself say, "What is that thing?" There was a prolonged silence and she could feel four sets of eyes on her back. A warm flush crept up into her cheeks.

Nolan finally answered as though speaking to an exceptionally slow child, "That…was a _s-t-r-i-d-e-r_." The glow of embarrassment faded a bit as she looked over her shoulder and saw his mischievous grin. Elena and Mikhail stared, but didn't seem surprised at her strange question. Barney, she imagined, had told the others about her odd fascinations.

"I know that," she replied, resisting the urge to grin back. Nolan, Barney, Amina; they all could have been good friends, but it was safer keeping everyone at arms length. "What _is_ it though? Is it mechanical or biological?"

"It's synth technology," answered Barney. "They've created weapons from other civilizations using mechanics and genetic engineering, so I guess it's both. We don't really understand it completely and I don't have time to explain what we do know. We need to get a look at the perimeter before another patrol comes by." The small team of rebels stood and returned to the rear of the deteriorating apartment building.

The small back lobby was filled with boxes and old furniture, as though the former inhabitants had expected to move their belongings to new homes. Kat tried not to see the details of the remains as she walked past to the alley; lovingly packed boxes of books and knickknacks, skeletal houseplants, shrouded paintings, all symbols of lives once lived in a safe cocoon of normalcy. She felt an odd relief getting away from the once everyday items.

Coming out of the alley, the decaying boulevard stretched out ahead of them as they carefully picked their way through the lengthening shadows. Broken windowpanes glittered sharply in the glow of the evening sun. The only sign of life in the abandoned city outskirts was a pitifully thin cat, skulking furtively towards them. It dropped into a crouch as it became aware of the intruders, frozen in shock. In the blink of an eye, it turned tail and disappeared into a gaping doorway.

Barney, leading the group, came to a halt. He pulled a small pair of binoculars out of a pocket and examined the street ahead as the team huddled in the shadows. They were in sight of the outer perimeter of the city. Black, segmented walls loomed over the moldering buildings. Nolan crept up from behind and passed Kat. "What's going on?" he hissed to Barney. "You see something?"

Barney continued to study the perimeter. "I don't…know…" He fell silent for a moment then lowered the binoculars and tucked them back into his vest. He turned to the back to the team.

"There's some activity down there. More than there should be. Wait here. I'll be right back." He turned and quickly moved down the street.

"Come on. Let's get out of sight," said Elena. Kat followed the three others back into the dark alleyway. They stood against the walls in silence. Nolan was surprisingly still; his focus on the mission calming his usual fidgety manner. He had earlier admitted to Kat that this would be his first time out of the city since the arrival of the Combine forces and he seemed to be a bit apprehensive.

Elena crouched against the wall, pulling a hand-drawn map from her pocket. She studied it intently, mumbling softly to herself. She would have been a striking beauty but for the large scar that marred her right cheek and jaw, pulling her mouth into a perpetual smirk. Elena, though, seemed to wear it as a badge of honor. Mikhail simply stood impassively, staring at the bricks in the wall, waiting.

Footsteps approached the alley and Barney jogged around the corner, looking concerned. "Something's going on. It looks like they're doing some sort of training exercise down there. I thought you checked on this area Nolan."

"I did!" Nolan protested indignantly. "There wasn't anything on the schedule…"

"Well, something's going on now. We're going to have to take an alternate route. I think we can…" He trailed off, listening. There was a rhythmic pounding sound in the distance.

Mikhail grabbed his pack. "Strider's back," he announced flatly. "Let's go."

Everyone snapped into motion, gathering packs and gear. "Which way, Barney?" Elena asked. "We can't go north. We would have to cross the highway."

The team jogged down the dark alley. "I know, but if they've increased the patrols around the perimeter the aqueduct is probably the only option."

"Not much of one," Elena muttered. They continued on, weaving through the maze of residential alleyways and side streets.

Further north, the residential areas gave way to a small commercial district and then quickly turned into a series of light industrial and office parks bordering the highway. At several points they heard the moans of nearby zombies, attracted by their passage. Generally such wretches were put out of their misery, both out of pity and for safety, but the rebels simply slipped past, unwilling to risk the sound of gunfire.

As they walked down a narrow corridor between two warehouses, an unearthly wail broke the deepening twilight. "Oh no," Nolan moaned. "Runners."

Kat had heard people speak of runners and Barney had filled her in on what to expect if they encountered any in the city. A new type of zombie created by Combine engineered headcrabs, they were fast, agile and very dangerous. The team scattered to the sides of the shelterless corridor. A dark, crouched figure sped past the far end of the alleyway.

"They're on both sides," Elena announced. "Watch out behind."

Kat flicked the safety off her MP-7 and dropped to one knee. _Rabbits. Just like hunting rabbits. Rabbits just don't run _at_ you, that's all._ There was the sound of something running and snarling behind her and someone fired a short burst. Instinct screamed at her to turn around, but she kept her eyes fixed on the other end, trusting her companions to protect her back. Another burst of gunfire was followed by the sound of a body hitting the pavement.

Kat wrenched her attention back to the front as two more creatures rounded the corner and charged towards them. She was horrified to see they looked like flayed humans running on all fours. Mikhail, on the opposite side, simply said, "Take the left."

Steadying herself against the wall, she took aim and fired at the beast running up her side of the corridor. Her shot caught it in the shoulder and it staggered into the wall. In a small corner of her consciousness, she was aware of gunfire and the sharp, guttural voices of the runners all around. The second burst hit the creature square in the head. A headcrab fell off with a thin cry and the zombie collapsed limply to the ground.

"Look out!" someone shouted, just as Kat became aware of a rattling above her head. Another runner dropped from the rooftop directly in front of her. She leaped up and backpedaled wildly, raising her weapon. It swiped at her as she desperately squeezed the trigger. Bullets tore through the sinewy arm and gaping chest, slowing the creature only slightly. Time slowed to a syrupy crawl as the backward momentum of her upper body outreached the speed of her feet. She knew was going to fall.

Still holding down the trigger, she tried vainly to train her shots on the head as she inexorably pitched backwards. Every detail of the runners razor-sharp claws were exquisitely seared into her awareness as her hip slammed into the pavement. As it launched itself for the kill, a blast of gunfire ripped through it's head. Kat collapsed completely onto her back as the lifeless body fell across her legs.

She lay there on her back for a moment as her heart lurched around in her chest, her only coherent thought being that it was now dark enough to see the stars. Someone was running towards her, shouting something and a weight was being pulled off her legs. A wave of adrenaline abruptly hit and she rolled over and up onto her hands and knees, certain that she was going to vomit. She crouched there for a moment, shaking and gulping for air.

Barney was suddenly in front of her face, hand on her shoulder, "Kat! Are you okay? Did it hit you?" She stared at him blankly for a second and sat back against the wall.

"No…I don't think so," she replied, looking stupidly down at her abdomen. She laughed weakly when she saw her stomach in one piece. "I guess I would know if it hit me, huh?"

"Yeah, they pack quite a punch. Do you need a second to catch your breath? We just alerted any patrols in the area, so we can't stay long."

"I'm alright." She tried to stand, but only succeeded in stumbling sideways like a newborn fawn. Barney helped her up and she leaned back against the wall, still shaking slightly. "Okay, maybe just one second."

"Here, give me your gun." She handed it over and he inspected and reloaded it as the rest of the group came over to check on her. As Elena helped her readjust her pack, she noted that there were six ragged bodies scattered along the corridor.

Elena noticed her observations and patted her shoulder, "That was a lucky fall. You got your head out of the way just in time." Kat just nodded silently, swallowing with a dry click. _Lucky. I'm not sure I can handle any more luck like that. _She collected her weapon from Barney and followed the group down the dark corridor.

X X X

Sliding down the north side of the highway embankment, the team of rebels entered an open field. Ahead lay the aqueduct that once supplied the city with water from the foothills. At this time of year it was a nearly dry stream, flowing sluggishly through steep concrete banks. To the west, the man-made riverbed emerged from beneath several roadways and building complexes at the edge of the city.

"It's a little over a mile through that tunnel," Elena said as she looked over her map with a small penlight. "Do you think it will be blocked off?"

"No," Barney replied. "We keep an eye on several of these routes and this isn't one they worry about too much."

The low-ceilinged tunnel stretched into the darkness. Narrow service paths ran along each side, leaving only enough room for a single person to pass. An acrid, eye-watering odor rolled out of the opening of the tunnel as the group approached. "Here, we'll need these," Barney said as he selected several short branches from a nearby pile of debris.

As they progressed deeper into the shelter of the tunnel, everyone pulled out flashlights to illuminate the narrow pathway. Kat used hers to look around the concrete walls as she walked. In the center of the tunnel, long sinewy ropes hung from the ceiling. She trained the light up the rope to the large fleshy objects from which the ropes were hanging. "Are those…?"

"Yeah," Nolan answered from behind her. "Barnacles. That's what the sticks are for. They'll try to eat anything. Haven't you seen them before?"

"I've seen them, just never so large. They must eat well in here."

"Hmm, lots of rats, I guess. There's one over the path ahead. Get ready."

Up ahead, a long dark tongue hung over the pathway, twitching slightly. Mikhail tossed a stick at it and it reacted instantaneously, pulling the newfound object towards the snapping jaws. Everyone rushed underneath as the barnacle tested the stick for edibility. There was a decisive crunch, followed by a clatter as the stick was found wanting and discarded.

"Gah! Those things give me the creeps," Elena said with a shudder as they continued on.

Other than the occasional barnacle that required dodging, the aqueduct continued on, straight and uninteresting. Further in, Kat noticed small side-passages on the opposite side, below the level of the service paths. Each one they passed seemed to bring a wash of fresh air, though it never was enough to dispel the sharp, sour odor wafting down the tunnel.

As the odor grew stronger, Kat felt a tickle of memory in the back of her mind. She had come across this smell before. She scowled in concentration, but was unable to make a connection. As though summoned by her thoughts, a snuffling, grunting sound echoed softly down the aqueduct.

Mikhail immediately stopped and flicked off his flashlight. "Bullsquid," he announced quietly. Everybody came to a stumbling halt in the dark. For a moment there was no sound but the hushed breathing of five humans. Soon more grunting calls came down the tunnel.

"There's more than one," Barney said softly.

"I thought they were solitary though," Kat responded. "Those don't sound very…big. I've seen a couple and they had much deeper calls."

No one answered.

"Well, they might be juveniles," she continued. "And if they're aggressive as everyone says, we might be able to kill one and slip by while the others are distracted by it."

"They might just be attracted to our gunfire, though. I've never seen one back down," said Nolan.

"Maybe, but if there's a fresh kill right in front of them, they would be just as likely to go after it."

"It's worth a try," Barney said, rifling through his pack. "Otherwise, we have to go back and find a new route and I'm sick of backtracking. Okay, Kat, you're our expert. We usually just avoid bullsquid when we can. Do you have any ideas for a quick kill?"

She thought of what little she knew of them for a moment. "I don't know. I don't really know their anatomy. The best bet would probably be the eye. The brain shouldn't be too far from it."

"Sounds good. Here, pass these up to Mik." There was the sound of objects being passed and then Nolan was pressing night vision equipment into her hands. She passed it forward and soon there was only the sound of quiet footsteps leading away from them.

There was silence for what seemed like a long time, broken only by the hoarse barks and whuffles of the bullsquids. A sudden muzzle flash from a silenced weapon lit the aqueduct. Kat had a brief glimpse of a group of dog-sized creatures near one of the side-passages. There was a loud squealing and the sounds of frantic scuffling.

"Quick! Let's go!" whispered Barney.

Kat kept her hand on the wall as she ran through the dark, assailed by an odd vertigo that insisted that she was about to step into an abyss at any moment. As they ran quietly past the bullsquid nest, there were the wet sounds of slobbering and tearing and animals jostling for position.

A bit further down the path, Mikhail stopped them. "Slow down," he grunted in his slow voice. He led them on until it was safe for the flashlights to be used again, tucking the night-vision equipment away in his pack.

The rest of the passage through the tunnel went without incident. As they approached the mouth of the aqueduct, the nearly full moon gave the landscape a frosty, peaceful mask. They exited quite some distance from the dark city walls and surveyed the countryside carefully before continuing on.

A crisp autumn breeze played around Kat's ears and she shivered at the thought of the coming winter. There would be a frost soon. She imagined having the Resistance base as a warm haven through the winter. It was a risk though; the last thing she could afford to do was get comfortable.

* * *

As always, thank you for the reviews!

CodPor - A special thank you for the specific comments. I love to hear thedetails that readers pick out and enjoy (or not). I'm sorry about the Lambda base characters. I'm assuming you were refering to chapter 4. I had intended to possibly develop some of those characters in later chapters but, well, things just went in a different direction.


	10. Chapter X

**Desperate Measures**

**Chapter X

* * *

**

"So, it doesn't bother you to prepare meat?"

"This creature has already lost its life essence," Sam responded in his gravelly voice as he used his three hands to effortlessly skinned the rabbits Kat had brought to him. "To take the life of an innocent is to be washed in that ones pain and all are affected. We do not kill without due cause. This is but a shell now and will provide much needed sustenance."

"Oh! Speaking of sustenance, that reminds me. I found a big patch of these for you." She slid a bulging bag towards the hunched creature and smiled at his reaction.

"Ahhh! Most wonderful!" His large red eye blinked rapidly and he clacked his jaws together in delight as he spilled the bag of mushrooms onto the battered table. Humming happily, he waved his clawed hands over the table as though weaving a protective barrier over the small brown delicacies. Sam, his real name unpronounceable by humans, had informed Kat of his weakness for mushrooms, as they reminded him of his native food.

The Vortigaunts fascinated Kat. They had spent millennia enslaved by other races, yet they still held out hope for independence. Their inborn submissiveness and servitude did little to quiet the universal desire for freedom. She had found most Vortigaunts to be rather reticent about their culture and beliefs, but Sam was an exception to the rule. He had done much to fill in her knowledge of their pitiful history and she been surprised to learn of their deep spirituality.

"You are kind to remember our desires during your duties." He gathered up the spilled mushrooms, placing them carefully back in the bag and setting them aside. In her conversations with the Vortigaunts, Kat had never heard any of them refer to themselves in the singular. Their shared consciousness felt so very alien and she couldn't imagine feeling so connected to her own kind. Sam bobbed his head and arranged his face in the Vortiguant version of a smile; he was probably informing his comrades in the camp of her find.

"If I get a chance, I'll collect some more."

"Mmmm. It is likely that there will not be time. The last team should arrive tonight and tomorrow we will be busy with preparations."

"Well, that's good. I'm looking forward to getting this over with. Will you be coming with us?"

"Yes, yes. We will be assisting with several details, including some objectives assigned to your team. There is another in the mining facility with which we have been able to establish contact. This shall work greatly to our advantage."

The small hunting cabin they had been using as a headquarters had slowly been filling with voices. The relatively spacious room next to the kitchen had been turned into the main hub for planning the mission. Elena leaned through the doorway, "Come on you two, the scouts just arrived back with the latest update."

"Katya?" Sam walked over to her as she headed for the doorway. He laid a long scaly hand on her arm and cocked his head as though listening. "You will not find what you think you are looking for out there."

"What?" She blinked at him in confusion. "What makes you think I'm looking for something?"

"Ahh, some are mere embers while others blaze behind the veil. Perhaps you will find what you need instead." He bobbed his head and turned away, leaving her staring open-mouthed.

X X X

The western side of the ridge sloped steeply down to the bowl of the valley. The team moved carefully along the eastern side, staying low. A thick layer of pine needles coated the ground, making the footing slippery at times. Barney could hear Sam just ahead, humming softly to himself. The Vortiguant hiked confidently through the dark forest; his superior night vision giving him a distinct advantage over the humans.

The ridge was gently descending to the valley floor. Passing between two stands of pine trees, they paused to take a quick look at the well-lit mining operation. Like many Combine facilities, this one appeared to be highly automated. There was one large building near the mine entrance that seemed to be the ore-processing plant. Nearby were several maintenance and storage sheds. Beyond the railroad tracks passing under the ore-loading chute, were smaller buildings including barracks and the living quarters for the human and Vortigaunt workers. Placed throughout the camp were three watchtowers, each manned by a single Combine unit.

As they had hoped, there was little activity at this late hour. They had timed their arrival to coincide with a shift change amongst the guards and mine workers. A pair of Combine guards were just leaving the workers housing and soon disappeared into their own barracks. "Looks nice and quiet," Barney said softly.  
"Let's get down there and wait on the snipers."

He quickly glanced back at the team before moving on. Everyone looked calm and focused. Mikhail and Elena were always professional and Nolan was shaping up nicely. Despite Barney's confidence in Kat's abilities, he had been a bit worried about how well she would work with the others. As he expected, she was doing her best to keep herself distanced from everyone, but no one seemed to be holding it against her.

Quickly refocusing his attention to the task at hand, Barney followed Sam to the floor of the valley. From their position in the shadows of the pine forest they had a view of the large generator facility attached to the back of the ore-processing factory. Several pylons were clustered around the secondary building, sprouting thick wires that led off to the mine and support buildings. Along the back wall were two large maintenance doors and a single smaller entrance.

Sam had continued to quietly hum intermittently, sounding like a large contented cat. This meant he was in contact with any nearby Vortigaunts, Barney knew. Only through a deeper trance could he reach the shared consciousness of his entire race. "Okay, Sam. Where is everybody?"

After a moment, he responded, "Snipers are in position. Our readiness has been indicated and Gerrun is prepared."

"Good. Let's wait for our cue then." He could only see one watchtower from their current position. The timing of the snipers and the security patrols was vital. Barney shifted his weight and ran through the operation again in his mind. He hated the waiting before the action; that nervous anticipation that felt like a ball of snakes writhing in his stomach. They had arrived right on time though and didn't have to wait long.

A pair of patrolling soldiers were approaching the back of the processing plant. As they passed the corner of the plant the soldier manning the tower suddenly dropped from sight. The foot patrol continued along the edge of the forest, carrying them close to the team's hiding place. Kat and Mikhail raised their weapons together. Barney could barely hear Mik counting off softly, "One… two… three." Two small pops sounded and the soldiers fell simultaneously. The team quickly ran out to move the soldiers into the cover of the underbrush.

The camp remained quiet. "Status, Sam." The Vortigaunt bobbed his head and concentrated for a moment.

"All patrols have been neutralized."

"Okay. Everybody ready?" Four pale faces nodded back at him. Barney took a deep breath. There was no turning back now. "Let's go then."

They ran to the back of the building and crouched near the electronically locked door. Sam moved to the lock and rubbed his hands together for a moment then held them out towards the lock. Extending his small third arm, he released a short burst of electricity. The lock sparked and crackled and the door released with a click.

Sam stepped back and Barney cracked the door open slowly and looked inside. The interior of the building was dimly lit and a low thrumming filled the air. As their contact had stated, the room was unoccupied. Opening the door a bit further he stepped inside and moved along the wall to make room for the others. Filling most of the room were three rows of tall shielded columns. Each column contained a glowing orb of energy that bobbed gently up and down the length of the cylinder. Although he had seen this odd power source in action before, he always found the languid movements of the spheres strangely hypnotic.

Tearing his eyes away from the columns, Barney looked quickly about the room. Thick black cables snaked from the columns up to the ceiling, connecting to three large transformers at the far end of the room. The opposite wall was lined with banks of blinking monitors and humming electrical equipment. In the farthest corner, just beyond the door leading to the processing plant were the main control consoles.

Nudging Elena into action, Barney continued along the back wall towards the main consoles. Halfway to his destination, he felt a hand on his arm. Elena stopped him and pointed at Sam, who was in turn gripping her arm and fluttering his free hand in a distressed manner. Barney stepped closer, "What is it?"

"There is a problem. There is another…"

The door that led to the processing plant clanked open letting in the loud rumbling of massive machinery. A collared Vortigaunt and two men in Civil Protection uniforms walked into the room. Twice over the past month the rebels, with the assistance of their inside contact, were able to shut down the power to the mining facility for a brief time with minor "equipment failures". This had allowed them to judge the reaction to the problem and to create what they had hoped to be a sense complacency about the power outages.

Barney leaned in close to Sam and whispered, "What's going on? Did he say anything?" Gerrun, the Vortigaunt worker who maintained the generators, had always been sent to check the problem on his own. Tonight, he had been going to meet them in the plant under the guise of a routine maintenance check.

Sam pulled his head in towards his chest and shook it slightly, "Gaaah, there was little time. The guards are not suspicious yet."

They could not hesitate if they were to continue. Barney ran their options through his mind quickly. There weren't many. He gathered the group close together, "Mik, Elena and Nolan, go back around the other side of the room. Try to get close, but don't let them get to their radios or get back through that door. Sam, tell Gerrun we're coming and on your signal he needs to drop down like he's looking for something under the console. That'll be the sign to fire."

The group split and moved around the shadowed edges of the room. The bulky transformer at the end of the row of columns provided ample cover for them as they slipped across the open space to the shelter of the large device. Barney glanced around the corner to see Gerrun doing his best to distract the two Metrocops. He leaned back and tapped Sam's arm.

Peering back out, he could see that the guards were getting frustrated with Gerrun's delay tactics. Barney gripped his silenced pistol tightly and raised it to sight on the closest man's head. Gerrun suddenly started excitedly gesturing at the console and then ducked down below. Both men stepped back from the Vortigaunt's unexpected disappearance, their movements indicating suspicion. Barney took careful aim and gently squeezed the trigger. His target's head snapped forward and he crumpled across the console. Before the second guard could react, he too pitched forward, falling onto Gerrun's protruding legs.

Sam was already running towards the console. Barney and Kat hurried after him. While Sam and Kat coaxed the apprehensive Gerrun from beneath the console, Barney pulled the fallen guard off the work surface. The others ran up and helped to get the corpses moved into the shadows of the nearby machinery.

Sam and Gerrun were conversing rapidly in their harsh, guttural language. "Sam," Barney prompted, "let's focus. We need to get this thing shut down."

"Assistance will be required. This one's restraint must be removed to allow full use of all abilities." He fiddled with a lock at the back of Gerrun's collar, his hands sparking briefly. Gerrun waited patiently and then rubbed at his neck as the collar fell free. "All must step back, this will be unsafe for humans."

The two Vortigaunts stood back to back and braced themselves. Together they ducked their heads in concentration and raised their hands as an ominous crackling filled the air. Barney took an extra step back, knowing all too well the forces the Vortigaunts were capable of unleashing. Golden bands of electricity arced from the nearest columns towards Sam's outstretched hands. The scent of ozone filled the air as Gerrun, arms trembling with effort, drew on the collected energy and directed it at the control console.

Barney averted his eyes as the console exploded in a shower of bright sparks. The energy-generating columns began to flicker and pulse erratically. In the next room the sounds of the machinery ground slowly to a halt. "Gerrun, will they be sending someone in here?"

"It is unlikely. They were informed that the maintenance tests might result in an unexpected shutdown. There is not much time though, as they will become suspicious very soon if the assigned guards do not return to report."

"That's alright, we'll take care of the guards in this building. We just need enough time to get the explosives set and get the workers out of here if we can. Sam, tell the other teams to proceed, then let's get going."

Two teams would now be heading into the mine with enough explosives to completely destabilize the hillside. Three back-up teams were waiting at the edge of the forest in case something went wrong. There were six more guards and a couple of officers to deal with inside the processing plant. Barney collected his team and started towards the factory door. There was still much to do and the clock was running.

X X X

Kat and Nolan collected the ammunition from the two fallen guards by the glow of the battery-powered back-up lights. While Kat put away the ammunition, Nolan pulled two large lumps of C4 explosive from his pack and started to place it at the base of a nearby support column. Kat straightened up and looked towards their next objective, the squat office block huddled in the corner of the cavernous factory. According to their information, the block consisted of only a few storage rooms and offices, split by a single central hallway.

Nolan completed his work and they slipped past a looming hulk of silent machinery towards the office hallway. On the wall near the corner was a large corkboard; an oddly human touch in this location. There were memos and notices posted along with duty rosters and security protocols. As she glanced over the board, a label caught Kat's eye. On the top left corner there was a "Officer on Duty" sign with a name posted underneath. R. Lennox.

The name held her eyes as she went cold and numb inside. She was frozen in place as the memories surged through her. They cleared away all extraneous thoughts, leaving her mind washed clean with only a single goal. A small part of her mind knew that it was senseless to place all the blame on this one individual, but it had given her focus and a reason to go on, having the thought of a defeatable enemy.

"Kat? Come on. We have to check these rooms," Nolan's voice buzzed from miles away.

A calm sense of detachment settled over her, as though her mind stepped back to let another force take over. She turned on her heel and proceeded down the hallway. Passing a door labeled "Storage", she felt a hand on her arm. "Where are you going?" She stopped and turned towards him with an icy look.

"If those rooms need to be cleared, go ahead." Her voice was flat; a stranger's voice. "There's… something I need to check on."

"But, our orders…"

She stepped towards him, eyes burning, and the small rational corner of her mind was surprised when he stepped back. "Then go tell Barney I'm disobeying orders. I'll only need a few minutes anyway." Ignoring his protests, she turned away and continued without him.

Disregarding the next two doors, she continued until she reached one with a small sign reading "Officer on Duty" next to it. There were the unmodified voices of two men arguing inside. She dropped her pistol to her side, opened the door and stepped into the room.

Inside, the two men wearing CP uniforms continued their heated discussion. "That's the third time this month and we need to get it fixed permanently this time!" growled the older man standing behind the desk.

"They won't do anything to fix it as long as production…" The second man had his back to her. He turned to face the door. "Was it the same problem as… Who the hell are you?"

Kat turned to the man at the desk. "Lennox?"

His surprised scowled gave him away, "How did you…?"

Without hesitation, Kat turned back to the other man, calmly brought her pistol up and fired in one smooth motion. The man's face registered a look of surprise, his mouth and eyes growing round. A dark hole appeared on his forehead and he slumped gracelessly to the floor.

Pivoting back to the man behind the desk, she asked clearly, "Are you Lennox?"

He tore his eyes from his fallen companion and swallowed visibly despite his angry glare. "Yes."

She closed and locked the door, then smiled coldly, "Good. I've been waiting so very long to meet you."


	11. Chapter XI

**Desperate Measures **

**Chapter XI **

* * *

"Here. Sit." Kat shoved a chair across the room with her foot as her eyes flicked to the watch on her wrist. There was not much time. Lennox stepped over to the chair and sat, his eyes sullen and angry.

She paced around him for a moment, trying to collect the whirlwind of emotions and long-rehearsed interrogations in her mind. The small voice of reason had been roughly thrust into the farthest reaches of her mind by a much stronger force. It kept her hovering outside of herself, unable to control the unfolding events.

"So, I really want to know; how can you live with yourself after slaughtering hundreds of innocent people?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." His voice was smooth, despite the beads of sweat forming on his balding scalp.

"No? What about the people who were living quietly around this area? They weren't causing any problems."

"We relocated quite a few people when we started this operation up. No one was…"

"Bullshit!" she shouted abruptly. "I was _there_!"

She drew back and watched him squirm for a moment before continuing in a low, dangerous voice. "I watched while your squad exterminated an entire community. I watched them shoot people in the back. I watched them beat people to death and then I watched them drag everyone into a barn and burn it down. And I heard _your_ name."

There was a long silence. Lennox stared at the floor. Just when she thought he wasn't going to reply, he shook his head. "Look, you can't possibly understand…" He trailed off weakly.

"Understand what? How _hard_ it is working for the Combine?"

"I have a kid."

Of all the things she expected to hear from him, this was certainly not one of them. "What? But there aren't…"

"No. He's all grown up. But he's all I have." He looked up at her, his tired brown eyes looking defeated. He knew how this would probably end. "You've heard my story. I lost my wife, my two youngest kids in the portal storms and the war. My son and I fled to the city. He was fifteen at the time. Early on, the ration supply system wasn't working real well and no one was getting enough to eat. I was watching my boy starve right in front of me."

He paused and wiped a hand over his face. "I had to do something, didn't I? Would you just watch your kid starve?" He didn't wait for an answer. "So I joined up. It kept us fed even if I had to do things that were…morally questionable."

"But _why_? How could you keep doing it? There are alternatives."

"It wasn't too bad at first. They make you believe it, that what you're doing is for the best for humanity. By the time I saw what was really happening, it was too late." He looked back down at the floor and sighed heavily. "My son joined Civil Protection against my wishes, as soon as he was old enough. He didn't know…he didn't understand what he was getting into. They like it when there are family ties. It gives them leverage.

"If I were to run off, they would punish him to get at me and I can't let that happen. I've heard they send deserters families to Nova Prospekt, so I do what I'm told and I keep my head down. I was sent out here two months ago on a security detail and I just follow my orders, whether it's babysitting a bunch of miners or clearing out surrounding communities."

Again he looked up, "What would you do? If you had to choose between a group of random survivalists and your own flesh and blood, who would you protect? Look, I'm sorry if you knew those people, but I just did what I had to do."

Kat was frozen. This was not how she had always imagined this encounter. There was no distance now. She looked out from behind her own eyes into Lennox's sagging face. He wasn't a monster, only human. She stepped back from him, shaking her head, "No…no, I don't believe you. You're lying…"

"We both know you're here to kill me, so that doesn't matter does it? I always had a feeling it would end like this. Karma, right?"

A sudden banging on the door distracted both of them. "Open the door!" Mikhail shouted from the hallway.

Kat whirled back towards the immobile Lennox, hands now visibly shaking as she held the gun. "No! Just give me one more minute!"

Mind roiling with indecision, she stared at Lennox. He was looking at the door with a calm acceptance, his fear and anger dissipated by the act of confession. "I can't…I can't let you…" she stammered.

The door crashed open and heavy footsteps entered the room. There was a sharp puff of air and Lennox jerked violently. His eyes turned back to hers as he slowly slumped off the chair. She spun around to see Mikhail scowling at her, "You're putting everything at risk."

The little voice of reason fled completely for safer ground. A red haze floated down over her vision and she snarled wordlessly as she launched herself across the room at him. Unprepared for her attack, Mikhail was propelled into the wall. With a strength fueled by rage, Kat grappled with him, reaching for his throat.

Suddenly there were other voices in the small room and Kat was yanked bodily off of Mikhail. Barney had her by the scruff of her neck and was shaking her forcefully. "Stop it! Knock it off!"

Nolan restrained a panting Mikhail. He examined a large gash on his cheek with his fingers as he glared murderously at her.

"What in the hell is wrong with you two?" Barney asked angrily. "This is not the time or the place. There are people counting on us. You two go give Elena a hand rounding up the rest of those workers and give me a second here."

As Nolan and Mikhail left the room he turned to her, "You better have a good explanation."

The haze had lifted, leaving her shaky and drained. "I…I found him," she replied, still winded from her efforts. She forced herself to look him in the eye, her face burning with shame.

"Lennox," he said flatly, looking at the corpse next to the chair.

"Yes. I didn't… I couldn't…do it." She drew in a deep shuddering breath and ran a trembling hand over her disheveled hair, "He…he wasn't what I expected. I just saw the name and I… I had to… I didn't think…" She trailed off weakly.

He gave her a long hard look and shook his head slightly, "Kat, I can't say I don't understand, but you need to get your head back in the game here. There are other lives at stake. When we get back, you and I are going to have a long talk. Right now, I need you to be thinking straight."

Eyes downcast, she nodded, "I know. I'm sorry. I…"

"We'll talk later," he interrupted. As he spoke, the overhead lights started to flicker on and off half-heartedly. Taking her arm, he propelled her towards the door. "We need to get everyone out of here now. They weren't supposed to have that backup generator on this quickly and it's going to give them access to the security systems."

They ran down the hallway and into the cavernous factory. Dodging under the hulking machinery, they saw two figures approaching. Nolan and Sam jogged towards them. "What are you guys still doing in here?" Barney demanded.

"We came back to get you. Elena and Mik took the workers out already. And Sam says that the teams in the mine haven't gotten out yet."

Sam shook his head woefully as he turned to head back towards the exit, "There was a problem subduing the guards. Panic arose among the enslaved ones and the schedule was not kept. They are headed towards the surface only now."

As they hurried to the door, alarms began to echo throughout the camp. "Damn it! This is starting to fall apart," Barney said under his breath.

They reached the exit and Nolan pulled on the door handle. Nothing happened. He yanked harder, "It's locked."

Barney turned and flipped open the security access panel. A small red light flashed in the corner. "Sam, see what you can do with this." Sam stepped forward and shot a small burst of energy from his extended hands. The panel sparked and crackled, but the red light continued to glow smugly. Nolan tried the door again to no avail.

Rumbling what sounded like a Vortigaunt curse, Sam took a step back, held out his hands and released a violent blast of green electricity. The panel belched out a gout of flame and quickly settled down to releasing tendrils of black, acrid smoke. He snorted in a satisfied manner and turned to Nolan.

The door still would not budge. "Maybe the front door?" Kat ventured.

"The locking system will probably be the same and that yard is going to be swarming with Combine any minute now," Barney replied, looking around at the windowless walls. "We need to find another way out of here."

"There is an opening in the north wall," Sam suddenly croaked. "The unwanted products are removed to the outside along a conveyor belt. There is a small gap where it exits the building."

"Well, it's worth a try," Nolan said. Kat looked at him as he spoke and felt a stab of guilt as he looked sharply away from her gaze. _This is all my fault._ _We're trapped in here because of me._

As if to accentuate her miserable thoughts, gunfire suddenly rang out in the distance. It was quickly answered by the unmistakable thumping of a Combine pulse rifle. Picking up the pace, they ran back through the plant.

Hidden beyond a maze of catwalks and conveyor belts, a small opening was visible high on the north wall. Sam led the way up a nearby ladder, guiding them confidently with the aid of borrowed memories.

Kat looked doubtfully at the narrow conveyor when they reached it. It was only about two feet wide and covered with sharp rubble. The gap in the wall was also rather minimal, perhaps eight inches at most. It would be a tight fit.

She started removing her vest and pack, folding them into a compact bundle, as the others discussed whether or not there was enough support on the boom outside to hold the extra weight. "I'll go," she announced and hopped up onto the belt. "It'll either hold, or it won't."

"Kat, wait," Barney grabbed at her arm as she started past. "Just…just be careful when you get out there, stay low or you'll be an easy target."

She gave him a nod and a small smile, "I know." Turning back towards the gap, she picked her way carefully along the rock-littered belt and wriggled through the small opening.

Emerging from the dusty building, Kat took a deep breath of cold night air as she quickly looked around. Emergency flood lights illuminated the broad, open work yard with a sickly glow. Gunshots rang out sporadically to her left, but the bulk of the processing plant hid the combat from her view. Below the end of the boom sat a large slag pile, enclosed on three sides by a retaining wall.

She cautiously scuttled out to the end of the boom and dropped her bundle of equipment over the edge. The drop was a good fifteen feet to the top of the slag pile. Trying not to imagine the sharp edges of the brittle shale, she hopped off the end of the conveyor belt. Her boots sank several inches into the loose rock, pulling her off balance. Windmilling her arms wildly, she bounced and skidded to the base of the pile before being halted abruptly by the wall.

The other three jumped from the boom, one by one, descending to the bottom in a similarly awkward style. Quickly regrouping in the shelter of the wall, they assessed their situation. Much of the gunfire was coming from the barracks area to the south and Sam confirmed that the teams in the mine were nearing the surface.

"Good," Barney nodded. "Let's see about getting out of here and back into the woods." Leading them around the interior of the retaining wall, he suddenly lurched backwards into Kat. Gunshots kicked up loose shale where he had just been standing. "Damn. There's a whole bunch of them out there near that maintenance shed."

He leaned back out and fired off a couple of shots. A fierce barrage answered, driving them all back deeper into the cover of the walls. "What's in there, Sam? They're trying to get into it."

"Maintenance equipment, it is thought. We are not aware of the exact contents. It would be best if they were stopped."

"Yeah, it would…" A ratcheting groan echoed menacingly across the work yard. "…But it sounds like that's out of our hands now. We'll just have to try to stop whatever they're up to and provide covering fire for the teams in the mine. Nolan, I want you to get around to the other side of this hill. Kat, you stay here and Sam, you stay in touch with the other teams." Everyone nodded in acknowledgement and moved to their positions as Barney climbed the side of the slag pile for a better vantage point.

Kat peered out from behind the retaining wall onto the yard. The tall maintenance shed now gaped open, ready, she was sure, to disgorge some horrible menace. Two Combine soldiers moved into the opening and quickly fell to a hail of bullets, while disturbingly loud noises of destruction began to emanate from the building. A mining car suddenly hurtled out of the open door, followed by a long slender leg.

A strider, crouched to its lowest height, sidled carefully out of the building. She watched in awe as it raised itself to its full height and swung around to view its surroundings, warbling in strange synthetic tones. Outfitted to assist with maintenance, its body was hung with assorted chains and winches instead of the usual deadly weaponry. Unfortunately, it was not completely powerless as it began firing a pulse weapon into the surrounding forest.

Under the cover of the strider's fire, the Combine troops stepped up their attack. Figures could be seen moving among the barracks to the south, edging carefully towards the trees. Kat was able to dispatch two but she knew that the soldiers were the least of their problems. Nothing short of a half dozen RPGs would take out the strider and while it had the run of the work yard, they, and the teams in the mine, were trapped.

Those legs… They looked so vulnerable. But the fact that they were so thin made them nearly impossible to damage. The larger body was a better target, but nothing they had could damage it. But the legs… Just to take out one would be enough to cripple it completely.

As she reached back to grab another clip, her hand brushed against a round cylinder. A grenade. That might be enough to destroy a strider leg, but it would be nearly impossible to actually make contact with the target at the right moment. Unless…

Distractedly shoving the fresh clip into her weapon, she left her position and ran around the back of the slag pile. Nolan was crouched next to the retaining wall, waiting for a target. She dropped down next to him and touched his shoulder. "Nolan, I need that extra block of explosive."

He turned to her suspiciously, "What for?"

"I think I can get us out of here." She watched as his eyes flicked up to Barney's location on the side of the small hill and then back to her. "No, I didn't ask permission. Just believe me that this will work."

"I don't know…"

"Damn it Nolan! Just give it to me! There isn't time to argue about this." At his continued hesitation, she reached for his pack.

"Okay, okay!" He twisted around and dug into the pack, extracting a harmless looking block of C4. "Here," he shoved it at her and turned back to watch for the enemy.

Kat grabbed it and started working it into a long rope. Nolan glanced back and spoke over his shoulder, "You'd better tell him."

She continued her work without looking up, "It doesn't matter. And he'd only try to stop me."

Nolan looked back again, his brows furrowed "Wha…what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to fix everything." Coiling and pinching the length of explosive around the grenade, she left about a foot hanging loose. Satisfied with her handiwork, she tucked it into a pocket and looked up at his back.

"Thanks. I'm sorry about what happened in there. Tell Mikhail…tell him that I said I was sorry." Before he could respond, she turned and ran back behind the slag pile to find Sam. He was squatting against the wall, staring vaguely up at the sky, his eye half-closed. She reached out and gently touched his knee, startling him out of his trance.

"Sam, I'm sorry, but I need your help. I need you to contact the group in the mine. Tell them they have to get the strider's attention. They have to keep it focused on the mine entrance. Tell the teams in the woods to keep those soldiers behind the buildings however they can, suppressing fire, distraction, whatever."

"It shall be done," he said, giving her a long, calculating look, his head cocked to one side, "if you feel it is truly the best course of action."

"It is. You were right, you know, about what I was looking for." He simply nodded. "Thank you, Sam."

The strider was stilting around the center of the camp, firing at any movement in the woods. As she reached the edge of the retaining wall, gunshots rang out from the mouth of the mine, bouncing harmlessly off the well-armored creature. It turned itself to face the mine and lowered its body to take better aim. The shots from the forest had ceased and now picked up again from behind the barracks.

Kat had watched the movement pattern of the legs. No matter how fast they tried to move, two legs had to be on the ground at all times. This gave a certain amount of time before a leg could be picked up again. As massive as they were, striders weren't terribly fast and as this one concentrated on the mine, it only made small adjustments to its position.

Although she was fortunate enough to already be slightly behind the strider's position, she had no idea of the range of its peripheral vision. It was only about fifty yards away, but a roundabout route would be safer. She slipped out of her pack and vest. Anything that might weight her down she discarded. Her pulse was roaring in her ears as she checked that the pin on the grenade was easily accessible one last time and started running.

Following the wall of the processing plant for cover, she ran until she was well behind the strider's position and then turned out into the yard. As she changed direction, the towering figure loomed in front of her, the upper reaches of its frame nearly lost in the darkness.

Slowing briefly to cross a set of tracks, she headed for the rear leg. Just above the height of her head, the leg sprouted a ring of vicious downward curving spikes. These, she assumed, were to keep enemies from shimmying up the leg to access the vulnerable joints, but they would suit her purpose perfectly.

The strider had just readjusted its position and the leg was planted directly in front of her now. She raced up to it, pulling the explosive-wrapped grenade from her pocket. Wrapping one arm around the leg, she jammed the grenade firmly into the joint formed by two of the spikes and twisted the loose end of the C4 around them to anchor the makeshift bomb.

Fumbling for the pin, Kat felt the enormous creature shift suddenly. Her fingers found their target and pulled just as the leg lifted into the air. She turned and ran. The strider hooted in annoyance and stomped after her. There was no way she was going to outrun it and shelter seemed to be miles away, but she only needed a few more seconds…

A leg thudded into the earth just a few yards to her right. _Too close, I'll be too close when it goes off..._

Something suddenly caught her in the back, lifting her off her feet and sending her flailing through the air. _It_ kicked _me!_ Behind her there was the roar of an explosion, followed by a wailing moan, but it barely registered as the ground rushed towards her.

X X X

The incessant noise and chatter slowly dragged Kat out of the soft darkness that cradled her. Someone was speaking urgently into her ear, but all she could think of was the enormous weight on her chest. She tried to breathe deeply, but the pain was phenomenal. Just enough air to ask the voices to be quiet, that was all she needed, but she could only manage short little gasps.

One voice buzzed closer and eventually, began to make some sense. "…wake up. I need you to…"

Concentrating all of her powers, she managed at last to open her eyes. The canopy of pine branches overhead and the smell of blood in the air swiftly brought back her memory.

"…they get out?" she wheezed.

"It's okay. Don't try to talk. We're going to take care of you." A man with a white and red badge on his arm hovered over her, poking at her abdomen.

"No… Did it…work?" She tried lifting a hand to push him away, but nothing seemed to be working properly.

To her relief, the medic suddenly withdrew his probing, but neglected to answer her as he turned away to speak to someone out of her range of vision. She tried to listen to the conversation, but her head felt stuffed with wool.

"…lucid now, but… …broken ribs, possibly a concussion and collapsed lung…"

"…move her?"

"…internal injuries… …not a good idea…"

She started to lose interest in the conversation. It didn't seem important anyway. The darkness was still there, on the edge of her awareness, beckoning gently. But there was still a question, a significant one, which she needed to have answered before she could allow herself to give in to it.

"Kat? Kat, look at me."

A new voice pulled her fully back to pain-filled wakefulness. With monumental concentration, she managed to turn her head and focus her eyes to see Barney looking at her with concern. The sight of his face reminded her of the question she wanted answered.

"We need to get you…"

"Did…did they…the mine…" Her voice was little but a rasping whisper.

"Did they get out?" She managed a slight nod. "They didn't tell you? Your…idea worked. It took down the strider and the teams were able to get out of there and blow the mine. We're going to clear out the rest of the troops and see if we can salvage a vehicle to…"

She let her attention drift away. It had worked and that was all that mattered. She hadn't failed them in the end, not like she had at the farm. Her eyes slid closed and something deep within her released the tight bands of guilt that had been tormenting her for months. The pain was bearable now and the darkness reached towards her. With a sigh, she let herself fall into its welcome embrace.

* * *

I hope it was worth the wait!

I'm glad you came back to check it out Metroid13, thanks!


	12. Epilogue

**Desperate Measures**

**Epilogue **

* * *

Sounds were the first thing to come back. Murmuring voices and quiet footsteps in the distance, paper rustling and the occasional whir of machinery. They all seemed to echo as though coming through a tunnel. Nearby, someone was breathing with labored deliberation. After a time, she came to realize it was the sound of her own efforts. 

The pain followed shortly after. It was everywhere. The dull ache in her head and back, throbbing spasms that ran up and down her legs and worst of all, a sharp, bright stab that came with every breath.

She opened her eyes and turned her head, unable to stop a small groan from escaping. The room was dimly lit and looked vaguely hospital-like. A few blinking machines stood near her bed and a blanket hung down from the ceiling to give her a semblance of privacy.

"Ah, glad to see you awake," Amina bustled into the curtained-off area. She reached for Kat's wrist and felt her pulse. "How are you feeling?"

Pulling in a meager breath, Kat tested her vocal chords. "Been better."

Amina smiled as she examined various points of injury. "You are very lucky they were able to get you back here so quickly. You were in rather dire straits."

Scowling slightly, Kat concentrated on her memories while she tried to keep the room in focus. "I don't remember what happened. I wasn't in the city though, was I?"

"No, you were out in the foothills. You really don't remember?"

Kat shook her heard stiffly. "I remember the forest, collecting mushrooms for the Vortigaunts and something about a mine." She paused for a moment as a vague, unsettling recollection filtered into her mind. "Oh…. I did…something bad."

Mistaking her statement, Amina patted her hand, "Well, foolhardy perhaps, but you saved a lot of people."

"How did I end up back here?"

"Barney and Nolan stole some CP uniforms and an APC. They packed as many of the wounded inside as they could and rushed back to the city before word of the attack got out. They just drove right in."

Kat cringed at the mention of Barney and Nolan. There were hazy memories of looks of betrayal and disappointment. Amina continued to chatter on, cataloguing her various injuries and the treatment they were receiving. Turning her eyes to the wall, Kat tried to make sense of the strange mix of guilt and relief that she felt. Amina finished her ministrations and left her to her musings, slipping silently from the little corner.

X X X

The dreams came and went in slow, rolling waves.

They always started with the hallway where she knew the monster lived. The only way to save everyone was to kill it, but every time she tried, it turned into a sad-faced man who begged her to save his soul. When she tried to reach for him to reassure his fears, the ceiling exploded with a sharp, shattering sound and the real monster looked down at her.

She turned to run through the door as the walls began to shimmer and melt and stumbled out into the middle of the dark, open yard of the farm. A faceless creature loomed above her. Like the murky nightmares of childhood, it was more of a presence than a distinct entity. It screeched and chattered with incomprehensible Combine radio static, stomping around between her and a burning building. Over the roar of the flames she could hear the shrieks of terrified humans.

Backpedaling wildly, she slapped at her clothing, searching for any sort of weapon even though she knew she wouldn't find one. Panic began to overwhelm her as the pleading voices and the monsters wailing tore through her head. There was nothing she could do. There was no way to save them. All she could do was run. And each time she ran, it saw her. Caught by its malevolent gaze, she knew all hope was lost and awoke with a gasp and pounding heart.

Sleep returned and the dreams with it. Even in sleep though, her mind searched out the small details, and this time she saw it. As she backed away from the monster, her eye was caught by a pale, fist-sized rock on the ground. Instinct screamed at her to run once again, but instead she bent down and grabbed the rock. It fit perfectly in her hand, with a satisfying heft. Surely it was a futile gesture, but something had to be done.

With every ounce of strength, she threw the rock towards the lumbering creature. Despite the darkness, she could see its arc as it soared towards the target. As it made contact, a bell-like resonance shivered through the air and the scene froze.

She fell to her knees, tear streaming down her cheeks as a soft voice whispered from a distant memory, _"… they made it… just rest…everyone is ok…they made it out…"_

X X X

Kat opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling, trying to absorb this new feeling of weightlessness. The dream had left her feeling raw and new, like something that had just shed a brittle shell. Something important had happened.

The rustling of paper interrupted her thoughts and she turned her head to see a dark haired figure sitting near her bed reading a sheaf of reports. She stared at Barneys bowed head in trepidation, deeply aware that he had good reason to be disappointed with her.

He looked up after a moment and gave her a broad grin, "Glad to see you among the living again."

She smiled back tentatively, "I'm glad to be here." To her relief she realized that breathing was becoming easier and the worst of the pain was starting to fade. She gingerly eased herself into a slightly more upright position.

"I don't have a lot of time. I have a shift in a little bit, but I wanted to come down and check on you. Amina told me that you don't really remember anything that happened after you ran into Lennox."

She winced inwardly at the sound of the name. "Things have been coming back slowly. The last thing I remember clearly is trying to get out of the building through a small opening. Everything gets hazy after that."

Barney leaned forward and recounted the events at the mine. Kat listened in amazement, stunned that she couldn't recall the details of the encounter with the strider.

"We put a significant dent in their plans. Overwatch was in an uproar afterwards and there's already a measurable difference in the air quality. Rumors among the citizens are flying. It really called attention to some of the hidden projects the Combine is working on and we've seen a wave of new recruits."

As Barney continued to fill her in on the repercussions of the mission, she watched the sparkle in his eyes and his animated gestures. His hope for the future of the Resistance had been renewed. It made what she had to do that much harder. As he finished, she spoke up.

"I want you to know how sorry I am…about what I did."

His face became serious, "You mean Lennox?"

She nodded. "I had spent so much time building him up into a monster that I couldn't see anything else clearly, but it turned out that I was wrong. It's made me see that there's a lot more to fight for." There was a long pause as she worked the edge of the sheet into an ever-tightening roll with nervous fingers. "I know I screwed up, so if you ask me to leave, I'll understand."

He sat back in shock, "Why would I do that? We need all the help we can get here and we don't have anyone else with your background. Werner is already talking about what he wants you working on next." He grinned at her look of relief, "We're just going to have to spend a little time working on your teamwork skills."

"Yeah, I guess so," she said with a smile. "You know it's not easy for me to be around other people. I had always imagined I would be leaving here, but it doesn't seem right to run away now."

"Well, I hope you won't. Amina told me you aren't going anywhere for a while, so I think we'll have time to make sure you're convinced." He glanced at his watch and stood, collecting his pile of paperwork, "I'm sorry, but I need to get going or I'll be late for my shift."

As he turned to leave, Kat spoke, "Wait… I keep thinking about what you said after we got back from the coast, how talking about your problems had really helped you. I wasn't ready to even think about what happened on the farm then, but I feel…different now. Do you think that when you get a chance to come back, that maybe we could talk?"

He gazed at her for moment and smiled in understanding, "That would be good. I'd like that."


End file.
